East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, Wednesday, 7th October, 2020: The EU Ambassador to Tanzania and the East African Community, Manfredo Fanti and the Secretary General of the EAC, H.E. Libérat Mfumukeko, today launched a new EUR 16,400,000 (approx. 43.87 billion TZS) joint programme to strengthen regional economic integration, through advancing implementation of the Customs Union and Common Market Protocols.
In particular, the Common Objectives in Regional Economic Integration (CORE) programme will be instrumental in moving towards a fully-fledged Customs Union, by supporting more robust information, communication and technology (ICT) based data exchange protocols for the clearing of goods. Thanks to digital solutions, customs operations will be simpler, quicker, as well as safer during this pandemic situation thereby resulting in a reduction of the costs of cross-border trade.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 7 October, 2020: While October to December is normally considered an important rainfall season for Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda, this time round a drier than normal season is expected in most parts of the EAC region. Only western Uganda and the border area with South Sudan might see higher than normal rainfall according to the Greater Horn of Africa Climate Outlook Forum that brings together the national meteorological and hydrological experts in the region. The Deputy Secretary General in charge of Productive and Social Sectors in the EAC Secretariat, Hon. Christophe Bazivamo, urges the Partner States to take appropriate measures in time to mitigate possible threats to the citizens related to the expected high temperatures.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 2 October, 2020: As the Partner States in the East African Community (EAC) region ease measures that were established to prevent and respond to the COVID-19 global pandemic, the EAC Secretariat has commenced a training of trainers’ course for staff at 12 One Stop Border Posts between the Partner States.
The training that aims at strengthening the prevention of and response to COVID-19 and other communicable diseases, involves staff from various sectors in line with the One Health approach. The training programme kicked off this week at the Isebania/Sirari border post between Kenya and Tanzania. The training is conducted by AMREF Flying Doctors in close cooperation with the EAC Secretariat.
East African Court of Justice, 30th September 2020: The First Instance Division dismisses a case (Reference No. 6 of 2019 Male H Mabirizi Kiwanuka vs. The Attorney General of Uganda) challenging the government over the decision of the Supreme Court of Uganda that upheld the enactment of Constitutional (Amendment) Act No. 2 of 2018.
He contested the legality of a host of actions, directives and decisions of the Executive, Legislative and Judicial branches of the Government of the Republic of Uganda (‘the Respondent State’) for their role in the conceptualization, processing and validation of Uganda's Constitutional (Amendment) Act of 2018.
East African Legislative Assembly, Arusha, Tanzania: 1 October, 2020:The East African Legislative Assembly late yesterday approved the EAC Budget Estimates for the Financial Year 2020/21, amounting to USD 104,063,020, after a day-long debate via virtual conference. In the same vein, the House passed the EAC Appropriation Bill, 2020, with the said amendments, over the budget estimates of USD 97,669,708, presented last week by the Chair, Council of Ministers, Hon Nshuti Manasseh.
Under the vote, the EAC Secretariat is to receive USD 48,418,301, while the East African Legislative Assembly gets USD 23,067,137. The East African Court of Justice is expected to benefit from the kitty, earning USD 4,198,406, while USD 8,380,057 is earmarked for the Lake Victoria Basin Commission. The Assembly further approved USD 1,536,751 for the activities of the East African Science and Technology Commission, and USD 1,399,318 for the activities of the East African Kiswahili Commission.
East African Court of Justice, 1st October , 2020: The First Instance Division upheld preliminary objections raised by the Attorney General of Tanzania (Respondent) and dismissed Reference No.9 of 2016 Rashid Salim Adiy & Others vs The Attorney General of the United Republic of Tanzania & 2 Others.
The matter was filed by the Citizens of Zanzibar claiming inter alia that the purported unification of the Republic of Tanganyika and the Peoples Republic of Zanzibar to form a United Republic of Tanzania is a nullity. The Applicants were seeking Court’s declarations among others, that the purported Article of the Union allegedly signed on the 22nd April, 1964 between the Republic of Tanganyika and the Peoples Republic of Zanzibar is non-existent.
East African Legislative Assembly, Arusha, Tanzania: September 30th, 2020: The new Minister for East African Community Affairs, Youth, Culture and Sports, Republic of Burundi, Hon Amb Nibigira Ezechiel, this morning, virtually, took Oath of Allegiance, as an Ex-Officio Member of the Assembly.
Hon Nibigira was sworn in to the House virtually before the Speaker and Members of EALA in line with the Rule 5 of the Rules and Procedures of the Assembly. The Rule 5(4) of the Rules of Procedure says in part that: “No Member can sit or participate in the proceedings of the House until the Oath or Affirmation of Allegiance to the Treaty is taken”.
East African Court of Justice, 28 September 2020: The First Instance Division dismissed a matter challenging the Inter-University Council for East Africa over recruitment. Reference No. 13 of 2017 Prof. Elias Bizuru vs. The Inter-University Council for East Africa, the Applicant who is a Burundi citizen alleged that the Respondent lacked transparency in its decision of not selecting him for the position of Chief Research and Innovation Coordination Officer after the interviews recommended him as the best candidate to be appointed, was an infringement of Article 6 (d) of the Treaty and sought its nullification and costs associated to the Reference.
East African Legislative Assembly, Arusha, Tanzania: 25 September, 2020:The EAC has presented to the East African Legislative Assembly, the long-awaited Budget estimates for the Financial Year 2020/2021, totaling $97,669,708, at a sitting held via virtual conference. The Chairperson of the EAC Council of Ministers and State Minister for EAC, Republic of Rwanda, Hon Prof Nshuti Manasseh, presented the EAC Budget Speech this afternoon as the budget session got underway.
The 2020/2021 Budget is themed: “Stimulating the economy to safeguard livelihoods, jobs, businesses and industrial recovery.” According to the Chair of Council of Ministers, the Budget estimates are presented at a time when EAC region as well as the globe is still reeling from the effects (and after-effects) of the Covid 19 pandemic, leading to lockdowns and a slowdown in economic activities. “The impact of the Pandemic on EAC Partner States, though not yet assessed fully, is no doubt surmounting”, the Minister said. He reiterated the EAC Budget would complement the efforts of Partner States and development partners to spur economic recovery arising from the Covid19 disruptions.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 25th September, 2020: On September 22nd, the EAC Secretariat, together with the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), the Africa Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) and Regional Strategic Analysis and Knowledge Support System (ReSAKSS) successfully convened its Second High-level Forum which disseminated to stakeholders the 2nd Biennial Review report on the implementation of the June 2014 AU Heads of State and Government Malabo Declaration on Accelerated Agricultural Growth and Transformation for shared prosperity and Improved Livelihoods.
Under the leadership of the African Union Commission (AUC) and the NEPAD Planning and Coordination Agency (NPCA), the Inaugural Biennial Review report was launched in January 2018 during the AU General Assembly, and the EAC was the first Regional Economic Community to convene a high-level forum to discuss outcomes of the Inaugural Biennial Review report. This tremendous achievement is in line with efforts aimed at increasing awareness and advocacy momentum behind the CAADP Agenda for increased political, policy and financial commitment.
