Secretary General concludes first phase of his visits to EAC Institutions
East African Community Secretariat, Arusha, Tanzania, 21st May, 2018:
The Secretary General of the East African Community (EAC), Amb. Liberat Mfumukeko, concluded the first phase of visits to the EAC Institutions in Kenya and Uganda over the weekend.
The visits, which started on the 16th May, 2018, covered the Lake Victoria Basin Commission (LVBC) located in Kisumu, Kenya; the Lake Victoria Fisheries Organization (LVFO) in Jinja, Uganda; the Inter University Council of East Africa (IUCEA) in Kampala; and the Civil Aviation Safety and Security Oversight Agency (CASSOA) in Entebbe, Uganda on 19th May, 2018.
The purpose of the visits is for the Secretary General to familiarize himself with the institutions and to understand their contribution to the integration process and the challenges they face in the discharge of their mandates.
The second phase of the visit will be conducted in June 2018, and will see Amb. Mfumukeko visit the East African Kiswahili Commission (EAKC) based in Zanzibar; the East African Science and Technology Commission (EASTECO) in Kigali, Rwanda; and the East African Health Research Commission (EAHRC) which is based in Bujumbura, Burundi.
At the LVBC headquarters in Kisumu, Amb. Liberat Mfumukeko met the Executive Secretary, Dr. Ali Said Matano and his staff and got briefs from the Heads of Departments on the key achievements and challenges of the Institution.
During his visits to Kisumu, the Secretary General paid a courtesy call to the Governor of Kisumu County, H.E. Peter Anyang' Nyong'o, who expressed the need for LVBC to work together with the County Government of Kisumu and urged LVBC to create more awareness on their activities to the residents of Kisumu County.
The Secretary General toured the Lake Victoria Water and Sanitation (LVWATSAN) 11 project site infrastructures located in Keroka, in Nyamira County.
At the Lake Victoria Fisheries Organization (LVFO) in Jinja, Uganda, the Secretary General met the Executive Secretary, Godfrey Monor and got briefs from the Heads of Departments on the key achievements and challenges of the Institution. Amb. Mfumukeko later on toured the Source of the Nile (SON) Fish Factory and Farm.
Established in 2005, SON has breeding and juvenile ponds at Bugungu Farm near Jinja, small fish cages in Lake Victoria in addition to manufacturing its own feed on site. The factory harvests 10,000 tonnes of tilapia per annum and has a strong emphasis on health and safety, sustainability and community projects.
At IUCEA, the Secretary General met the Executive Secretary, Prof. Alexandre Lyambabaje, and got briefs from the Heads of Departments on the key achievements and challenges of the Institution.IUCEA intends to construct the second phase of its headquarters to accommodate all staff, Archives and Conference Halls.
Amb. Mfumukeko concluded his tour by visiting the CASSOA headquarters. The Ag. Executive Director, Mr Emile Nguza Arao, briefed the Secretary General on the Institution and informed him that CASSOA was voted by International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as the second best safety and security agency in the world out of 17 organizations.
During the visits, the Secretary General emphasized to all institutions the need to focus on implementing their priorities as set out in the EAC’s 5th Development Strategy. He urged all the Heads of Instructions to implement reforms geared at cutting costs and ensuring frugal use and accountability of EAC resources, and endeavour to build synergy with other EAC Organs and Institutions.
-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