Cost cutting? Wetangula orders MPs to travel by SGR for East African games in Mombasa

National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula has directed Members of Parliament (MPs) participating in the upcoming 14th edition of the East African Community Inter-Parliamentary games, to be held in Mombasa County, to travel exclusively by the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) as a cost-cutting measure.

The games, scheduled for December 6 to December 18, 2024, were first established by a resolution of the 4th East African Community (EAC) Bureau of Speakers held in 2009.

The meeting resolved to hold the Inter-Parliamentary Games for East Africa Community partner states on an annual, rotational basis with the aim of fostering relations between the East African Community Legislative Assembly (EALA) and the parliaments of the East African Community region.

Speaking in Parliament on Tuesday, Wetangula highlighted that the Parliaments of Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, DR Congo, the Republic of South Sudan and the Republic of Somalia will all be in attendance.  

"I did direct and I want to repeat ...as much as we possibly can on cost-cutting measures...you will, including myself, travel to Mombasa by SGR," he said.  

"So you will organise with the clerk's office and table office...who will assist you to indicate when you want to travel. You will all go by SGR, including myself, to cut down on costs so that we can be able to facilitate as many of you as possible to come to Mombasa and participate in the games."

Wetangula similarly urged Mombasa leaders to plan ahead accordingly and make sure everything is in place to ensure the smooth running of the upcoming event.

"We encourage our colleagues from Mombasa to lay out a good welcome for our colleagues both in Kenya and from the region," he said.