East African Community Secretariat, Arusha, Tanzania, 19th September, 2019: The East African Community has declared Fridays as ‘Afrika Mashariki Fashion Day’ during which East Africans will wear attires manufactured in the region.
The 36th Extra-Ordinary Sectoral Council on Trade, Industry, Finance and Investment (SCTIFI) further declared the 1st Week of September an ‘Afrika Mashariki Fashion Week’ to be held annually as a Trade Fair and Exhibition of EAC designed textiles and garments.
The SCTIFI urged EAC Partner States that produce cotton to set up national cotton lint buffer stock mechanisms to ensure all year-round availability of locally produced cotton lint to spinning mills.
East African Community Secretariat, Arusha, Tanzania, 18th September, 2019: The EAC Deputy Secretary General in-charge of Productive and Social Sectors, Hon. Christophe Bazivamo, has urged EAC Partner States to work closely with the private sector and farmers associations to curb the high incidence of pests and diseases in the region.
Hon. Bazivamo underscored the fundamental linkages between agriculture, trade and agro-industry and stressed the need to strengthen these sectors.
East African Legislative Assembly, Arusha, September 16th 2019: The East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) resumes its 1st Meeting of the 3rd Session in Arusha, Tanzania, today, Monday, 16th September, 2019. The Plenary Sitting is expected to continue until October 5th, 2019.
The Assembly shall at this Sitting debate and enact the EAC Youth Council Bill, 2017, thereby befitting the youth who make a significant percentage of the populace in the EAC region a great deal. The Bill moved by Hon Susan Nakawuki, is premised on Article 120 of the EAC Treaty and seeks to implement the EAC Youth Policy 2014, which is an integral part of the 4th EAC Development Strategy 2011/2012 – 2015/2016. The Bill which sailed through the First Reading on 31st May 2017, recognises that Partner States have diverse laws and policies regarding the youth in their territories. The Bill thus seeks to harmonise the laws and regulations pertaining to youth in the Community while providing for a suitable legal framework. For the purpose, the Bill seeks to establish the East African Youth Council within the EAC to provide for the composition, objects and functions, administration, finances and to provide for other related matters.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 15th September, 2019: The EAC Secretary General, Amb Liberat Mfumukeko paid a courtesy call on the Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Kenya, Hon. Monica Juma on 13th September, 2019.
During their discussion Amb. Mfumukeko briefed the Cabinet Secretary of the steady progress on the implementation of the key Protocols i.e. the Customs Union, Common Market, Monetary Union and Political Federation. He outlined the key challenges which the Partner States are committed to resolve.
On her part, the Cabinet Secretary reiterated her support and Kenyans support to the integration process. She noted that the region cannot be stronger beyond EAC unless we build EAC. Amb Monica Juma emphasized on the strategic role that the EAC Secretariat is expected to play in helping EAC values and vision.
Kampala (September 14, 2019): The Inter-University Council for East Africa (IUCEA), the Regional Facilitation Unit for the World Bank supported Eastern and Southern Africa Higher Education Centers of Excellence (ACE II) Project, has announced the recipients of the ACE Scholarship Program for 2019. A Call for Applications for Masters Fellowships targeting female students in the nine project participating countries of Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Zambia, Uganda, Mozambique and Malawi was announced in March 2019. The aim of the competitive scholarship is to enhance the participation of young African female scientists at postgraduate level, encourage regional student mobility and identify and cultivate future leaders in the region. A total of 28 fellowships were awarded for the 2018/2019 academic year.
An Independent Selection Panel nominated from members of the Regional Steering Committee (RSC) of the ACE II Project selected and recommended 32 applicants out of nearly 500 applicants for the 2019/2020 academic year. The selected candidates were found to have met all required conditions for the scholarship as specified in the Call.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 12th September, 2019: The EAC Secretary General, Amb. Liberat Mfumukeko paid a courtesy call on Hon. Minister Prof. Palamagamba Kabudi in Dar es Salaam on Tuesday 10th September, 2019. This was the first visit by the Secretary General to the Tanzanian Ministry since the appointment of Prof. Kabudi as Minister of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation.
The Secretary General briefed the Minister on a number of issues in the Community including an update on the progress of implementation of the key pillars of integration, operational challenges at the EAC, an update on the financial situation, reforms at EAC, the upcoming celebrations of 20th Anniversary among others. The Secretary General assured the Minister that EAC is still steady despite some operational challenges.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 09th September, 2019:The Extra Ordinary Sectoral Council meeting on Trade, Industry, Finance and Investment (SCTIFI) is currently underway at the East African Community Headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.
This meeting which is taking place from Monday, 9th September, 2019 to Friday, 13th September, 2019 comprises three sessions, namely: the Session of Senior Officials which runs up to 11th September, 2019; the Session of the Coordination Committee to be held on Thursday, 12th September, 2019, and; the Ministerial Session which will take place on Friday, 13th September, 2019.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 9th September, 2019: Preparations are in high gear for a High Level Conference on Trade Integration in the East African Community scheduled to take place from 25th to 27th September, 2019 at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Nairobi, Kenya.
The high level conference themed, “Enhancing Trade Integration in East African Community” has been organized by the EAC in collaboration with East African Business Council, TradeMark East Africa, the German International Cooperation Agency (GIZ) and the host country Kenya.
…EALA Speaker in attendance, calls for leverage of ICTs in Parliamentary democracy
East African Legislative Assembly, Zanzibar, Tanzania: 2 September, 2019:The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association African Regional Conference commenced in Zanzibar, Tanzania, with continental legislators rooting for increased usage of the internet and electronic systems to leverage parliamentary democracy.
H.E Dr Ali Mohammed Shein, President of Zanzibar and Chairman of the Revolutionary Council, opened the Conference as the august body celebrated its golden Jubilee in the coastline of Zanzibar.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 19th August, 2019: The East African Community has expanded the region’s capacity to deliver high quality health services through the establishment of Regional Centres of Excellence (RCoEs) in the Partner States.
EAC Deputy Secretary General in charge of the Productive and Social Sectors, Hon. Christophe Bazivamo, further disclosed that the the RCoEs would also provide quality education, vocational training and research to students and practitioners in the health sector.
Hon. Bazivamo named the RCoEs as those for Kidney Diseases (Kenya); Heart Diseases (Tanzania); Cancer (Uganda); e-Health, Biomedical Engineering and Health Rehabilitation Sciences (Rwanda), and; Vaccines, Immunization and Health Supply Chain Management (Rwanda).
“We cannot develop skills adequately in these areas at the national level, but we can do so through these Centres of Excellence in the Partner States,” said Hon. Bazivamo.
Hon. Bazivamo said it was anticipated that the Centres of Excellence in health would reduce the huge numbers of East Africans travelling to India to seek specialized medical care.
Hon. Bazivamo was speaking at the EAC Headquarters when he received three Senators from the Kenya Senate Standing Committee on National Cohesion, Equal Opportunity and Regional Integration. The Senate Committee is undertaking a fact-finding mission to engage EAC Organs and Institutions from 18th to 30th August, 2019. On the team were Senators Judy Pareno, Mercy Chebeni and Christine Zawadi.
The Deputy Secretary General briefed the Senators on the progress made by the Community in the four stages of integration, namely: the Customs Union, Common Market, Monetary Union and Political Federation.
He cited some of the achievements made by the EAC over the past two decades as: increased intra-regional trade, reduction of non-tariff barriers, infrastructure development, harmonisation of education systems and curricula, development of the EAC international e-passport, signing of Mutual Recognition Agreements, payment of tuition fees at local rates by EAC nationals studying in other Partner States, and increased cross-border investment.
He singled out the tendency by Partner States to prioritise national programmes as opposed to those agreed upon at the regional level saying this posed challenges to the implementation of EAC projects and programmes.
In her remarks, Senator Judy Pareno said that the Committee was on a fact-finding mission to enable them understand the EAC and the role of the Community’s Organs and Institutions in the implementation of the EAC Treaty, in addition to their achievements and challenges.
The Senators noted that there was lack of awareness among East Africans on the EAC integration process, adding that Partner States governments and the EAC should do more to sensitise people at the grassroots on the Community and its role in their lives.
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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 Sudna, Tanzania and Uganda, with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.
