Press Release

20th Ordinary Meeting of the EAC Heads of State set for Arusha, Tanzania

East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 26th November, 2018: The 20th Ordinary Meeting of the Summit of the East African Community Heads of State is set for Friday, 30th November, 2018 at the Arusha International Conference Centre (AICC) in Arusha, Tanzania.

The 20th Ordinary Meeting of the Summit will be preceded by the 38th Ordinary Meeting of the EAC Council of Ministers, which is running from 25th to 28th November, 2018, also in Arusha, Tanzania.

Among the items on the Provisional Agenda of the 20th Summit of the EAC Heads of State are: the status of ratification of various protocols; the status of resolution of long outstanding non-tariff barriers, and; the progress report on the adoption of Political Confederation as a Transitional Model to the East African Political Federation.

Other items on the Agenda include: the roadmap for the accelerated integration of the Republic of South Sudan into the EAC, and; the verification exercise for the admission of the Republic of Somalia into the Community.

The Summit will also consider reports on modalities for the promotion of Motor Vehicle Assembly in East Africa aimed at reducing importation of used vehicles into the Community, and; the review of the textile and leather sector with a view to developing a strong and competitive domestic sector that gives consumers better choice than imported textile and footwear.

At their 19th Ordinary Meeting held in Kampala, Uganda on 23rd February, 2018, the Summit directed the EAC Council of Ministers to explore the possibilities of developing the automotive industry in East Africa by reducing the importation of used vehicles from outside the region and thereby make the region more competitive.

The Summit, at the same meeting in Kampala, directed the Council to make the region more competitive by prioritising the development of a competitive domestic textile and leather sector that will give East Africans a wider range of choices in terms of affordable, new and quality clothes, shoes and other leather products.   

The forthcoming Summit will also review progress report by the Council of Ministers on the Summit Directive on having two (2) Deputy Secretaries General at the Community recruited competitively on a rotational basis among the Partner States.

The Summit at its 19th Ordinary Meeting held in Kampala, decided that there will only be two Deputy Secretaries General at the EAC who shall be recruited competitively on a rotational basis.

The Summit is expected to assent to various Bills passed by the East Legislative Assembly, namely: the EAC Polythene Materials Control Bill, 2016; the Administration of the East African Court of Justice Bill, 2018; the EAC Monetary Institute Bill, 2018, and; the EAC Customs Management (Amendment) Bill, 2018.

The Summit will further consider the implementation status of the EAC Customs Union and Common Market Protocols in addition to the current financial status of the Community.


Media Accreditation

All Local (Tanzanian) Journalists intending to cover the 20th Ordinary Summit of the EAC Heads of State are alerted that registration for accreditation will be done at the Regional Information Office in Arusha, Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.,. All Foreign Journalists seeking accreditation must register at the EAC Media Centre Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; cc: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.;  

The accreditation process will commence on Wednesday 28th November 2018 at the Arusha International Conference Centre, 5th Floor, Kilimanjaro Wing, from 09.00hrs to 18.00hrs.

-ENDS-

For more information, please contact:

Mr Owora Richard Othieno
Head, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Department
EAC Secretariat
Arusha, Tanzania
Tel: +255 784 835021
Email: OOthieno [at] eachq.org

About the East African Community Secretariat:

The East African Community (EAC) is a regional intergovernmental organisation of five Partner States, comprising Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda, with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania. 

The EAC Secretariat is ISO 9001:2008 Certified

Meeting of the Sectoral Council on Trade, Industry, Finance and Investment underway in Arusha

East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 14th November, 2018: A meeting of the Sectoral Council on Trade, Industry, Finance and Investment (SCTIFI) convened in accordance with the EAC Calendar of activities for the period of September-December 2018 is underway in Arusha, Tanzania.

The meeting started with the Session of Senior Officials from 12th to 13th November, the Session of the Coordination Committee/Permanent Secretaries’ Session on 14th and 15th November, and will conclude with the Ministerial Session on 16th November, 2018.  

Addressing the opening session of the Session of Senior Officials, the Director General-Customs and Trade at the EAC Secretariat, Mr. Kenneth Bagamuhunda, reaffirmed that the foundations of the EAC were premised on trade and economic integration hence the SCTIFI is the driver of the integration process.

The DG said that the EAC was now getting to 20 years after signing the Treaty in November 1999 and coming into force, 13 years of implementing the Customs Union and eight (8) years of implementing the Common Market Protocol. He said that the year 2018 was a turning point whereby the EAC was undertaking a comprehensive review of the EAC Common External Tariff and Customs Management Act 2004.

Bagamuhunda said that despite the progress being made, a lot needs to be done in regard to Non-Tariff Barriers to Trade to move goods across borders, services and capital.

He disclosed that the EAC Competition Authority was now operational but constrained by a limited number of Staff.

The ongoing SCTIFI is considering, among other things, the status of implementation of the directives and decisions of its meeting held on 30th May, 2018; Reports of the Sectoral Committee on Customs, Sectoral Committee on Trade, and Sectoral Committee on Investment. It is also considering the EAC Competition Authority matters.

-ENDS-

For more information, please contact:

Mr Owora Richard Othieno
Head, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Department
EAC Secretariat
Arusha, Tanzania
Tel: +255 784 835021
Email: OOthieno [at] eachq.org

About the East African Community Secretariat:

The East African Community (EAC) is a regional intergovernmental organisation of five Partner States, comprising Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda, with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania. 

The EAC Secretariat is ISO 9001:2008 Certified

Australian High Commissioner presents credentials to EAC Secretary General

East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 9th November, 2018: The Australian High Commissioner to Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda, H.E. Ms Alison Chartres, today presented her credentials to the East African Community Secretary General, Amb. Liberat Mfumukeko, at the EAC Headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.

Welcoming the Australian High Commissioner, Amb. Mfumukeko said that the balance of trade between the EAC and Australia was largely in favour of Australia.

Amb. Mfumukeko said that EAC countries import agricultural equipment and machinery from Australia while exports to Australian consist of tea, coffee and flowers.

Amb. Mfumukeko said that the EAC has many investment opportunities including agriculture, infrastructure development, tourism and mining.

In her remarks, Ms. Chartres said that Australia was keen on free trade and was highly encouraged by the signing of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the coming into force of the EAC Single Customs Territory (SCT).

Ms. Chartres said the AfCFTA and EAC SCT would go a long way in promoting trade in Africa and the East African region but trade with other parts of the world including Australia as well.

High Commissioner Chartres said that Australian firms had deep interest in setting up businesses in East Africa and singled out agriculture, mining and renewable energy as the most sought out sectors by Australian companies.

The High Commissioner described the EAC as a big market that would definitely be attractive to Australian investors.

She, however, urged EAC Partner States to allow for international arbitration mechanisms to provide for referral of business disputes, adding that Australian companies needed assurances that there were provisions for international arbitration in the national statutes.

“Investments need to be mutually beneficial to all parties, local and international. We therefore need stable regulatory frameworks to ensure that risks for investors were manageable,” said Ms. Chartres.

The Secretary General informed the High Commissioner that the EAC was working with the East African Business Council, the umbrella body of private sector organisations in East Africa, to improve the investment climate in the region, adding that a regional portal for investors in East Africa was also being finalized.

Amb. Mfumukeko said that the EAC had also facilitated the signing of Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRAs) to promote the free movement of professionals in the region, adding that among the professions that had signed MRAs so far were medical doctors, engineers, architects and veterinary doctors.

He said there was a firm commitment at the political level to make the Customs Union, Common Market and Monetary Union protocols work.

-ENDS-

For more information, please contact:

Mr Owora Richard Othieno
Head, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Department
EAC Secretariat
Arusha, Tanzania
Tel: +255 784 835021
Email: OOthieno [at] eachq.org

About the East African Community Secretariat:

The East African Community (EAC) is a regional intergovernmental organisation of five Partner States, comprising Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda, with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania. 

The EAC Secretariat is ISO 9001:2008 Certified

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East African Community
EAC Close
Afrika Mashariki Road
P.O. Box 1096
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United Republic of Tanzania

Tel: +255 (0)27 216 2100
Fax: +255 (0)27 216 2190
Email: eac@eachq.org