East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 21st May, 2020: The East African Community Secretariat has handed over mobile laboratories and Coronavirus test kits to the Republic of Kenya.
During the hand-over ceremony at the Tanzania/Kenya border town of Namanga, the EAC Secretariat handed-over two four-wheel drive vehicles fitted with laboratory and ICT equipment, as well as all the necessary consumables for a fully functional laboratory with the capacity to conduct tests for Ebola and the coronavirus in addition to other pathogens.
East African Court of Justice, 18 May 2020: The Appellate Division will resume Sessions via Video Conference this week. This follows a decision by the extra Ordinary Plenary for Judges held virtually last month in April which resolved Court to roll out online hearings, delivery of Rulings and Judgments this month after a successful test run. The decision on video conference hearings is based under Rule 132 & 133 of the EACJ Rules of Procedure 2019, on use of technology in Court Proceedings and electronic sharing of documents respectively. To supplement the above provisions, the Court has also issued extra guidelines to be followed by the Parties.
…formal report of deliberations to be tabled during next plenary
East African Legislative Assembly, Arusha, Tanzania: May 14th, 2020:The East African Legislative Assembly has today reiterated regional joint and coordinated approaches in the fight to contain the COVID-19 pandemic at the EAC. EALA Members stated at a virtual (via video conference) meeting chaired by the Speaker, Rt Hon Ngoga Martin, that such initiatives would complement existing measures currently in place by the Partner States.
During the meeting, Members took the opportunity to provide feedback on their recent activities in the Partner States and to apprise developments in the Partner States with regards to level of preparedness to combat COVID- 19.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 10th May, 2020: East African Community Partner States have been directed to support local production of essential medical products and supplies including masks, sanitizers, soaps, processed food, ventilators as part of efforts to combat COVID-19 in the region.
A Joint consultative meeting of Partner States’ Ministers and Cabinet Secretaries responsible for Health, Trade, Transport and EAC Affairs via video conference held on 8th May, 2020 to discuss a regional approach to COVID-19 further directed Partner States to facilitate farmers to continue farming activities during this pandemic and post COVID-19 period.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 30th April, 2020: The East African Community has unveiled a comprehensive COVID-19 Response Plan to reinforce measures to protect and prevent further spread of the novel coronavirus pandemic within the region.
The response plan was developed following a directive by the Joint Meeting of Ministers responsible for Health, Trade and EAC Affairs held via Video Conference, which directed the EAC Secretariat to finalize and submit the EAC Regional COVID-19 Response Plan to the Partner States.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 30 April, 2020: Human mobility across countries, largely driven by air travel, has been one of the main vectors that facilitated the rapid spread of COVID-19 across the world, and many of the confirmed COVID-19 cases in the EAC region have also had a history of air travel.
Airports in the EAC region enhanced their preparedness and response measures early and have been able to intercept several COVID-19 susceptible travelers through intensified surveillance and screening. Yet, airports continue to be high risk areas for the spread of infectious diseases.
…committee activities and parliamentary business to continue online via video-conferencing
East African Legislative Assembly, Arusha, April 27th 2020: With the region and globe consolidating in the fight to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) has resolved to hold its 4th Meeting of its 3rd Session in a different format. For the first time in its history, the Assembly’s Sitting is to be held virtually in the EAC Partner States. A number of key reports top the agenda of the 3-week virtual meeting, to be presided over by the Speaker, Rt Hon Ngoga Karoli Martin.
The Committee on Regional Affairs and Conflict Resolution is to consider the report on the EAC Integrity and Anti-Corruption Bill, before it is to be presented at the virtual plenary anticipated for Thursday, May 7th, 2020. Other key reports to be tabled during the period are that of the Committee on Accounts on Capacity Building Workshop and the Report of the Committee on Agriculture, Tourism and Natural Resources on the On-Spot Assessment of the activities of the Lake Victoria Basin Commission (LVBC).
East African Court of Justice, 27 April, 2020: The East African Court Justice (EACJ) through a video conference held an extra ordinary Plenary for Judges and resolved to roll out online hearings, delivery of Rulings and Judgments next month May, 2020, after test run.
The Plenary was chaired by the President of the Court, Hon Justice Dr Emmanuel Ugirashebuja. In his opening remarks the Judge President congratulated his fellow Judges for having accepted to go digital as a gateway for EACJ becoming an e-court.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 27th April, 2020: EAC Partner States have been urged to treat truck drivers and crew who test positive for COVID-19 in the host Partner State rather than deporting them to the country of origin as this will result in further spread of the disease.
Through a 17-page document titled ‘EAC Administrative Guidelines to Facilitate Movement of Goods and Services During the COVID-19 Pandemic’ sent to Partner States, the Secretariat calls on Partner States to enforce mandatory screening or testing of truck drivers and crew at border posts and undertake mobile monitoring during transit at selected inland points.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 23rd April, 2020:The East African Community Secretariat has handed over a mobile laboratory containing equipment and consumables including COVID-19 testing kits to the Republic of Burundi at the Kobero border post on the Burundi/Tanzania border.
Prof. Joseph Nyandwi, the Director General of the National Institute for Public Health in Burundi, received the mobile laboratory consignment on behalf of the country's Minister of Public Health and Fight Against AIDS, Dr. Thadee Ndikumana.
Prof. Nyandwi thanked the EAC Secretariat for the support which he said comes in at a time the country and the world was fighting to curb the spread of the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
