Historic One-Day Approval
In an accelerated move, South Sudan’s Transitional National Legislative Assembly adopted the East African Community Treaty Bill, 2025, in a single sitting on Thursday, signalling rare parliamentary urgency just days before the bloc’s Ordinary Summit in Nairobi, Kenya.
The bill passed unanimously, with Speaker Jemma Nunu Kumba framing the vote as a “strategic necessity” to ensure Juba arrives in Nairobi with full legal alignment to partner states. Standard multi-day debates were compressed into hours under emergency procedural rules.
Redefining Partner States
Legislators updated the treaty’s text to list all current EAC members, including the Democratic Republic of Congo and Somalia, and inserted a clause for automatic entry of future states. Committee chair George Andrea Juma said the revision gives South Sudan “a clearer compliance roadmap.”
Economic Integration Goals
Analysts in Juba argue the move could accelerate trade corridors from Mombasa to the Nile, improving access to fuel and cement as the country rebuilds. They note that formal domestication of the treaty strengthens investor confidence in arbitration and customs processes.
Nairobi Summit Expectations
Heads of State are expected to review infrastructure financing on 4-5 December before the main summit on 6 December. South Sudanese officials hope to secure commitments for the Juba-Nimule road upgrade and electricity interconnection projects tied to the EAC master plan.
Voices from the Assembly
Parliamentary spokesperson Oliver Mori Benjamin said Thursday’s vote “puts us on equal footing with our brothers and sisters across the region.” He predicted that a united legislative front would help President Salva Kiir present a stronger negotiating position during closed-door Nairobi sessions.
Next Procedural Steps
The treaty now waits for presidential assent, a step officials say is largely procedural. Once signed, updated regulations must be published within 30 days, allowing ministries to harmonise customs, immigration and standards rules before the next EAC budget cycle begins.