The 15th edition of the East African Community Inter-Parliamentary Games closed in Kampala, Uganda bringing together parliamentary delegations from Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and the East African Legislative Assembly under the theme “Advancing Integration Through Parliamentary Sports.”
The week-long tournament ended without a single petition for the first time, a development organisers attributed to improved coordination, discipline and sportsmanship.
Speaking at the closing ceremony, Speaker of the Senate of Kenya, Amason Kingi, said the games demonstrated that regional integration must go beyond policy statements and be reflected in everyday experiences.
“These games are part of a broader journey of integrating East Africa. As parliaments, we must ensure that integration is not merely a commitment on paper but a lived reality for our people,” he said.
Kingi used urged regional legislatures to hold their respective Executives accountable for stalled integration commitments, singling out the Monetary Union as a key concern.
“We signed a Monetary Union Protocol in 2013 with a roadmap to a single currency by 2023. We are now in 2025, and we do not see any signs of a single currency. Parliament must ask why,” he noted.
He also raised concerns over continued restrictions to the free movement of people, stressing that Common Market protocols must be respected across all Partner States.
The games featured competitions in football, netball, athletics, volleyball, basketball, darts, golf and tug of war, providing a platform for interaction beyond formal parliamentary settings. On the field, Team Kenya emerged as the overall top performer, finishing with 20 medals comprising six gold, six silver and eight bronze.
Kenya dominated athletics, volleyball, tug of war, darts and golf, reinforcing its strong showing across multiple disciplines.
As the tournament drew to a close, the games highlighted the role of sport in strengthening parliamentary cooperation and fostering closer ties among Partner States, reinforcing a shared commitment to a more integrated East African Community.
