East African Community Secretariat, Arusha, Tanzania, 17th August, 2023: The East African Community (EAC) Secretary General, Hon. (Dr.) Peter Mathuki, on Wednesday flagged off 22 cyclists who are participating in the 2023 edition of the Great African Cycling Safari (GACS) that will take them across five Partner States, namely Kenya, Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda and Uganda.
The cyclists who are on the third leg of their tour that will take them to Tanga, Dar es Salaam and Dodoma before heading to Burundi will cover a total of 6,000 km by the time their trip ends in Uganda in mid-September. The cyclists were flagged off in Jinja, Uganda on 1st August, 2023. More than 1,000 cyclists are expected to join the core cycling team at different stages as they ride across the Partner States.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 10th September, 2022:The 5th Edition of the EAC Art and Cultural Festival, dubbed JAMAFEST, came to a close on Friday, 9th September, 2022 at the Intwari Stadium with different cultural performances from Partner States’ cultural troupes.
The seven-day festival attracted more than 2,000 participants from the seven (7) EAC Partner States, which including performing artists, exhibitors, culture professionals/ academicians, students, administrators, civil society organisations, and private sector involved in the art and culture sector activities.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 6th September, 2022: The President of the Republic of Burundi and the Chairperson of the EAC Summit, H.E Evariste Ndayishimiye officiated the opening ceremony of the 5th Edition of the East African Community (EAC) Arts and Culture Festival (Jumuiya ya Afrika Mashariki Utamaduni Festival - JAMAFEST) at the Intwari Stadium on Monday 5th September, 2022.
The President said the East African Community Arts and Culture Festival, code named “JAMAFEST” creates new channels for community dialogue and nurtures cultural diversity while at the same time creating opportunities and distribution channels for cultural products.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 1st September, 2022: Preparations are in high gear for the 5th Edition of the East African Community (EAC) Arts and Culture Festival, popularly known as Jumuiya ya Africa Mashariki Utamaduni Festival (JAMAFEST) scheduled for 4th -12th September, 2022 in Bujumbura, Burundi.
The main objective of the Festival themed “Harnessing cultural resources to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19 in the EAC” is to promote regional socio-cultural integration through arts and culture by providing a regional platform to showcase culture as a prime driver of EAC integration.
Addressing delegates during the 5th meeting of the Regional Steering Committee (RSC) held via hybrid format, the EAC Deputy Secretary General in charge of the Productive and Social Sectors, Hon. Christophe Bazivamo, said that the main venue of the festival will be at Intwari Stadium in Bujumbura where the main stage for cultural performances, the exhibition and market place will be located.
Hon. Bazivamo said that the subsidiary venues of Palais de Arts and Insititut Francais will host specialized shows including film festival, comedy and drama while Kiriri Garden Hotel is expected to host the Symposium.
Hon. Bazivamo reaffirmed the readiness of the Republic of Burundi to deliver a successful JAMAFEST and urged the RSC to work closely with the National Organizing Committee to ensure the event was a success.
Hon. Bazivamo underscored the significance of JAMAFEST as a platform for fostering regional socio-cultural integration in East Africa, adding that the festival was aimed at promoting unity in diversity, sharing cross-cultural experiences and dialogues, cultural exchanges in addition to celebrating the rich and diverse cultures and heritage of the people of East Africa.
“I urge Partner States to use the festival to promote economic growth and revival of the tourism industry in the regional integration,” said the DSG.
The Deputy Secretary General disclosed that a theme Song for the festival has been composed and will be played throughout the festival as part of the publicity campaign of creating awareness on the role of arts and culture in regional integration.
During the 5th RSC meeting, the Partner States agreed on sub-themes which shall also form topics for discussions during the Jamafest Symposium 2022 by Partner States.
The United Republic of Tanzania was assigned to prepare a presentation on the adoption of new regional languages in the EAC; Republic of South Sudan was tasked with making a presentation on role of modern technologies in advancing cultural expression and arts – the impact of social media on culture; while the Republic of Kenya will tackle Indigenous Knowledge and Traditional Medicine.
The Republic of Rwanda was assigned Arts, Industry and Tourism; Republic of Uganda will handle Youth Participation and Employment while Burundi will handle Research, Innovation and Investment in Arts and Culture.
Media Accreditation
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For more information, please contact:
Simon Peter Owaka Senior Public Relations Officer Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Department EAC Secretariat Arusha, Tanzania Tel: +255 768 552087 Email: sowaka [at] eachq.org
About the East African Community Secretariat:
The East African Community (EAC) is a regional intergovernmental organisation of six Partner States, comprising Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda, with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha Tanzania, 8th August, 2022: The EAC Deputy Secretary General in charge of the Productive and Social Sectors, Hon. Christophe Bazivamo, today flagged off the 5th edition of the Great African Cycling Safari (GACS) at the EAC Headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.
The GACS is an annual bicycle tour to showcase the East African Community in all its beauty, multiplicity, and reflecting the cultural diversity of the people living in the East African region.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 07th July, 2021:The EAC Secretary General, Hon. Dr. Peter Mathuki, has commended a team of cycling enthusiasts in the region for their commitment to the EAC integration process and their desire to spread the EAC gospel across the region as they prepare to embark on the 55-day, 6,000km long Great African Cycling Safari.
“The East African Community is for the people of East Africa, and I salute you, our brave cyclists for your commitment and desire to take the East African Community to the people, through this cycling safari,” said Dr. Mathuki.
The Secretary General was speaking during the official launch of the 4th Great African Cycling Safari, at the EAC Headquarters in Arusha, earlier today.
Dr. Mathuki said that the Great African Cycling Safari was a worthy cause that should be supported by all Partner States, adding that it presents a unique opportunity for the integration not only in the region but in Africa as a whole, unified by the power of sports.
“This is the greatest cycling event in the world, the world-renowned Tour de France is a 10-day, 3,000 kilometre event. We must therefore take pride that our youth have come up with this initiative,” said the Secretary General.
The Secretary General said that the cyclists aim to create awareness around the integration process by sensitizing communities resident along the bike tour as they interact with them.
“This is of importance to the EAC because you are taking the integration process to the people who are its actual owners,” he said.
Speaking at the same event, the East African Business Council (EABC) Executive Director/CEO, Mr. John Bosco Kalisa commended the cyclists for their efforts in promoting a spirit of East Africanness, one that was built on unity, peace, and collective development.
Mr. Kalisa reaffirmed EABC’s commitment to partner and support the event by engaging EABC members and business leaders to join in the cycling segments, offer sponsorships, as well as in-kind donations as part of the private sector’s corporate social responsibility.
The Chairman of the Great African Cycling Safari, Mr. Francis Munywoki, said that the 2021 edition of the Safari being held under the theme “Green Africa: Experience Africa, Integrate Humanity” is also meant to create awareness on the various aspects of climate change.
“We are embarking on a journey to not only create awareness on the EAC integration agenda and the climate change challenges on the region, but to also do something to actually fix these challenges,” said Mr. Munywoki.
“There will be opportunities to plants tress, we already have 1,000 trees that have been donated by a partner, which we shall plant in Tanzania before we set off to Kenya,” he added.
Mr. Munywoki said that the Great African Cycling Safari presents an opportunity to re-write the African story.
Logfire Camps Executive and Expedition Director, Mr. John Bosco Balongo said that this year’s safari was an adventure and an opportunity for cycling enthusiasts to enjoy a sport they love and see the beauty East Africa has to offer.
“We expect this to be the biggest of the other three we have hosted in the past and are looking forward to growing this event to be a recognised international competitive event,” said Mr. Balongo.
During the border crossings of the Safari, the EAC together with EABC shall organize Public-Private Dialogues with Trade Facilitation Agencies at the EAC One-Stop Borders Posts as a platform to deliberate on challenges and strategies to better facilitate trade.
Over the last four years, the Great African Cycling Safari has successfully staged progressive cycling tours through all East African capitals under the banner of East African Bicycle Tour also known as Tour d’EAC.
These tours have brought together local and international biking enthusiasts from all walks of life to experience the unique terrain and exotic culture, create awareness and promote the integration of East Africans and Africans in general.
This year’s event is envisaged to be the biggest cycling event in the world. It will officially kick off on 1st August, 2021 for a period of 55 days and come to a close at the EAC Headquarters on 25th September, 2021.
More than 1,000 participants from Africa, Europe, North America and Asia will cover 6,000 kilometers, traversing through five East African capitals, one city at a time. This year’s tour will start in Dar es Salaam in the United Republic of Tanzania and pass-through Nairobi, Kampala, Kigali, Bujumbura, Dodoma and terminate in Arusha on the foot hills of Mt. Kilimanjaro, Africa’s tallest mountain.
Participants can register for the event online, https://eactour.bike for US$25 for East Africans and US$ 500 for Non-East Africans for the entire tour. Cyclists have the choice of choosing a segment of any length they would like to join.
For more information, please contact:
Simon Peter Owaka Senior Public Relations Officer Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Department EAC Secretariat Arusha, Tanzania Tel: +255 768 552087 Email: sowaka [at] eachq.org
About the East African Community Secretariat:
The East African Community (EAC) is a regional intergovernmental organisation of six Partner States, comprising Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda, with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 13th August, 2019: A group of 15 cyclists who are participating in the 3rd East African Community Bicycle Tour (Tour d’EAC) were today flagged off at the EAC Headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.
Flagging off the group of volunteer cyclists, the EAC Deputy Secretary General in charge of Planning and Infrastructure, Eng. Steven Mlote, hailed the cyclists for their efforts in complementing initiatives by the Secretariat to create awareness on the integration process.
Eng. Mlote noted that it was encouraging that the annual initiative which started with cyclists from Uganda only in 2016, had now expanded to include cyclists from Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Tanzania.
He urged the cyclists to mobilize more youth in the region to appreciate the importance of regional integration as a way of empowering East Africans and making East Africa united and stronger.
The Deputy Secretary General said that the movement of the cyclists across the region had been made possible by the free of movement of persons as enshrined in the EAC Common Market Protocol.
Eng. Mlote assured East Africans that the Community was growing stronger with each passing day, adding that it had recorded many achievements which were gradually beginning to trickle down to ordinary East Africans.
In her remarks, Ms Joyce Kevin Abalo from the GIZ Office at the EAC Headquarters, assured the cyclists that the German Technical Cooperation would continue working closely with the EAC Secretariat to ensure that the event was a success.
Ms Abalo urged the cyclists to endeavour to complete the journey noting that success can only be attained through discipline and perseverance.
Speaking at the event, the Coordinator of the Tour D’EAC, Mr John Balongo, requested the EAC Secretariat to include the tour in its Calendar of Activities in the future.
“We also want to request that in future events, all ministries support individual cyclists from their respective countries,” said Balongo, adding that the group’s aim was to educate EAC citizens on the importance of a united East Africa.
“We seek to stir up interest of groups and individuals in the understanding of the land, and people of East Africa. Subsequently, this results into growing personal and group relationships across the region multiplying out into travel, trade and many other beneficial linkages,” he said.
Also present at the event was the EAC Director General, Customs and Trade, Mr Kenneth Bagamuhunda.
The 3rd Tour d’EAC was flagged off on 1st August, 2019 at the Independence Monument in Kampala by Uganda’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for EAC Affairs, Hon. Dr Ali Kirunda Kivejinja, and the Tanzanian High Commissioner to Uganda, H.E. Aziz Ponary Mlima. The cyclists arrived in Nairobi on the evening of Wednesday, 7th August, 2019 where they were hosted by the Ministry of EAC and Regional Development in Kenya one day later.
NOTES TO EDITORS:
The Tour d’EAC 2019 is expected to cover 4,300 km around East Africa over a period of 50 days. The aim of the Annual East African Bicycle Tour is to promote the spirit of East Africanness among the people of East Africa, the tourism and business potential of the Community while enhancing awareness about the social and cultural peculiarities of people and places in the EAC.
The ultimate goal of the initiative is to bring the citizens of East Africa to own the integration process as enshrined in the Treaty for the Establishment of the EAC. The tour is also one of the activities to mark the Community’s 20th Anniversary.
- 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 six Partner States, comprising Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudna, Tanzania and Uganda, with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, 12th June, 2019: The 3rd East African Bicycle Tour (Tour d’EAC 2019) themed “Integrate or Perish” is set for 1st August to 20th September 2019, with over 100 cyclists taking on an epic route of over 4,300 km around East Africa over a course of 50 days.
According to the Team Leader and Director of Campfire Logs Guild of Uganda, the lead organizer of the Bicycle Tour, Mr. John Bosco Balongo, the 3rd East African Bicycle Tour will be flagged off on 1st August 2019 at the Independence Monument in Kampala, Uganda by the 2nd Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of East African Community Affairs of the Republic of Uganda, Rt. Hon. Dr. A. M. Kirunda Kivejinja.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania 8th June, 2019: The 15th EAC Sectoral Council on Education, Science and Technology, Culture and Sports Concluded on Friday 7th June 2019 at the EAC Headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.
The 5-day meeting was convened to consider matters related to Education and Training; Culture and Sports; the East African Kiswahili Commission (EAKC); the Inter-University Council for East Africa (IUCEA); and the East African Science and Technology Commission (EASTECO).
Chairing the meeting, Mr. Samuel Mulindwa, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Republic of Rwanda pointed out the important role of Education, Science and Technology and Innovation in the development of the East African Region.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, 13th March, 2019: Preparations for the 4th Edition of the East African Community Arts and Culture Festival, popularly known as Jumuiya ya Africa Mashariki Utamaduni Festival (JAMAFEST), are already in high gear with the 1st meeting of the Regional Steering Committee (RSC) being held from 4th to 8th March, 2019 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
The 1st meeting of the Regional Steering Committee was chaired by Mr. Nyakana Oswald, the EAC and Eastern Africa Officer in Rwanda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, while Mr. Gwamaka Lazarous Mwandwani, the Community Development Officer in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Tanzania was the Rapporteur.
