East African Community Secretariat, Arusha, Tanzania, 20th June, 2018: The Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Republic of Uganda and the current Chair of the EAC Sectoral Council on Agriculture and Food Security, Hon. Vincent Bamulangaki Ssempijja, has called upon EAC Partner States to strengthen the linkages between Biennial Review (BR) process and the National Agriculture Investment Plans (NAIPs).
In his remarks during the opening session of a High Level Forum on Inaugural Biennial Review Report of the Malabo Declaration and Recognition of the Best Youth Agripreneurs held on 16th June 2018 at the Mount Meru Hotel in Arusha, Tanzania, the Minister emphasized that NAIPs are the main vehicles for implementation of Malabo Declaration on Accelerated Agricultural Growth and Transformation for Shared prosperity and Improved Livelihoods adopted by African Union Heads of State in 2014.
Hon. Ssempijja appealed to Partner States to support implementation of NAIPs at a pace that is fast enough to bring about the desired change. The Minister further urged Partner States to fully embrace and institutionalize Joint Sector Review as a key mechanism for ensuring inclusive, efficient and effective delivery of the Malabo mutual accountability commitment. The Minister paid tribute to the Republic of Rwanda for emerging as the best performing country in implementing the seven (7) commitments under Malabo Declaration in the Inaugural Biennial Report presented to the AU General Assembly in January 2018.
The Minister acknowledged that promoting youth employment in agriculture is a top priority under Malabo Declaration Commitment 4 which focuses on halving poverty by the year 2025. The key targets under this include creating job opportunities for at least 30% of the youth in agricultural value chains and supporting and facilitating preferential entry and participation for women and youth in gainful and attractive agri-business opportunities.
Addressing the Forum, EAC Deputy Secretary General in-charge of Productive and Social Sectors, Hon. Christophe Bazivamo, urged Partner States to take the Biennial Review process as an important mutual accountability yard stick for tracking progress, informing and influencing evidence-based agricultural planning and investment decisions.
Dr Chimimba David Phiri, Sub-regional Coordinator for Eastern Africa (FAO-SFE) and FAO Representative to the African Union and UNECA, mentioned that the agricultural sector provides untapped potential to boost the creativity, energy, innovation and entrepreneurship of the youth, create decent employment opportunities and wealth, and curb youth distress migration. He reiterated that boosting youth employment in agricultural value chains is a low hanging fruit for harvesting sustainable development, food security, and rural poverty reduction.
The main focus of the Forum was to discuss EAC Partner States CAADP Biennial Report 2018 key findings and recommendations; to define priority actions towards operationalizing recommendations in the Biennial Report in order to improve EAC Partner States performance in reporting; and to recognize and award prizes to the Best Youth Agripreneurs in the EAC. A report on EAC-FAO project on promoting Youth Employment in the Agricultural Sector was presented. The climax of the Forum was award of financial grants and certificates to the 6 Best Youth agripreneurs in the EAC with outstanding models in agribusiness that have contributed to food and nutrition security, wealth creation and employment.
The Forum was jointly oraganized by the EAC Secretariat, African Union Commission and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations on the margins of the 11thSectoral Council on Agriculture and Food Security. In attendance at the Forum were Permanent/Principal Secretaries responsible for agriculture from the Republic of Kenya, Republic of Rwanda and Republic of Kenya, Directors from agriculture sector Ministries and institutions, the African Union Commission, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), CAADP Focal points, Continental and Regional Stakeholders and Development Partners engaged in the CAADP process.
NOTES TO EDITORS:
The East African Community has embraced the CAADP agenda and placed agriculture as the engine of social and economic growth in the integration process. The EAC commitment to domestication of the CAADP process is demonstrated by the adoption of the EAC CAADP compact as well as progress made in the development of the EAC Regional Agriculture Investment Plan. EAC CAADP instruments are aligned to the Malabo Declaration on Accelerated Agricultural Growth and Transformation adopted by the African Heads of State in June 2014. Among other commitments, African Heads of State committed to Mutual Accountability to Results and Actionsby conducting a Biennial Agricultural Review process that involves tracking, monitoring and reporting on implementation progress in achieving provisions of Malabo Declaration. The Biennial Report is an innovative mechanism for capturing progress, achievements as well as challenges that need to be addressed to drive agricultural transformation towards realization of Malabo Declaration goals and targets.
Remarkable progress has been made in the implementation of the EAC-FAO project on “Promoting Youth Employment in Agriculture”. The process of documenting and validating Best youth agri-business models has been successfully undertaken in the EAC Partner States. Youth Champions in Agriculture who were identified during the aforementioned documentation exercise were facilitated to participate in a hands-on training at Songhai Center in Porto Novo, Benin from 2ndto 29th May, 2018. The final top 6 youth champions (one per Partner State) were awarded prizes during the High Level Forum.
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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.
East African Court of Justice Kigali, 20th June 2018: The Minister of Justice and Attorney General (AG) of the Republic of Rwanda who was the Chief Guest, represented by Mr Theophile Mbonea, Head of Legal services in the Office of the AG, congratulated the Court on realizing the objective of sensitizing the State Attorneys who are among the key litigants that appear before the EACJ to argue the cases filed against the government of Rwanda.
In his opening remarks he added that, it is therefore essential for the Court to have thought about this sensitization workshop and call upon all the participants to utilize this unique opportunity to share the knowledge and experience of the EACJ with their Lordships facilitating the workshop.
Hon Minister also commended the EACJ for the new developments of the Court such as e-filing system which will enhance access to court and its efficiency in delivering justice. “I am aware of the online case management system which has reduced costs for the litigants while filing and serving process to the court. The Attorney General’s Office embraces the use of advanced technology by the EACJ and will remain supportive to ensure the system is fully working where there is need” Said the Minister of Justice.
The Chief Guest further noted that establishment and the presence of the EACJ Sub-registries in all Partner States has brought services of the Court closer to the people of East Africa. That it is no longer just hearing about ‘‘The Arusha Court’’ as it was before, but Rwandans have started actually seeing the “East African Community Court” among them. He added that those who feel aggrieved by laws or decisions that seem to violate the East African Community Treaty and hence undermine the goals and objectives of integration, and who wish to have the matters determined by the EACJ and get a remedial decision of the Court.
The Minister also emphasized on the cooperation between the EACJ and the Office of the Attorney General, that it is not new and encouraged the Court to continue with the workshops, trainings to the State Attorneys, Judges and Members of the Bar Associations in the Partner States on the role, practice and procedure of the Court that are different from the national courts. That it will help them gain more experience with the practices of the regional court.
The Minister also pointed out the willingness of the government of Rwanda and anticipate its participation in the EACJ’s programs will significantly add to ideas that contribute to the harmonization of our laws and procedures towards a uniform dispensation of justice in the region and greater integration. He added that this is in line with the requirement in Article 126 of the Treaty which states that “In order to promote the achievement of the objectives of the Community set out in Article 5, the Partner States shall take steps to harmonize their legal training and certification and shall encourage the standardization of the judgments of courts within the Community”.
The Chief Guest concluded by encouraging the leadership of the Court to continue conducting and rotating such important sensitization workshops to all Partner states which will contribute to the visibility of the Court and participation of the Offices of the Attorneys General in the Partner States.
President of the East African Court of Justice, Hon Justice Dr Emmanuel Ugirashebuja, on his part commended the support by the Ministry of Justice and the Office of the Attorney General of Rwanda as one of the key litigant of the Court and pledged to continue working together in ensuring justice delivery to the people of East Africa and Rwandans in particular.
He encouraged the State Attorneys to use the knowledge gained from this workshop and expect to see the positive outcome when they come to Court.
The three-day workshop is being facilitated by the EACJ President, Justice Aaron Ringera, Deputy Registrar and Research officer and other staff of the Court.
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For more information, please contact:
Yufnalis Okubo Registrar East African Court of Justice Arusha, Tanzania Tel: +255 27 2162149 mail: Okubo [at] eachq.org www.eacj.org
About the East African Court of Justice:
The East African Court of Justice (EACJ or ‘the Court’), is one of the organs of the East African Community established under Article 9 of the Treaty for the Establishment of the East African Community. Established in November 2001, the Court’s major responsibility is to ensure the adherence to law in the interpretation and application of and compliance with the EAC Treaty.
Arusha is the temporary seat of the Court until the Summit determines its permanent seat. The Court’s sub-registries are located in the respective National Courts in the Partner States.
East African Community Secretariat, Arusha, Tanzania, 19th June, 2018: The East African Community Partner States are set to benefit from increased development assistance from the French Development Agency (AFD).
Also projected to benefit from French development aid is the EAC Secretariat with the focus being on climate change, clean energy and private sector development and investment promotion.
AFD Chief Executive Officer Remy Rioux disclosed that French development assistance had surpassed the 10 billion euros mark in 2017 and will double in 2020 because of President Emmanuel Macron’s commitment to the country’s development cooperation with the rest of the world.
Mr. Rioux said that AFD’s focus was on sharing French expertise and financing, adding that 50 per cent of the agency’s funding would go to Africa.
He reiterated that French development finance was biased towards mitigating the effects of climate change, adding that France had accumulated many years of experience in financing for the phenomenon.
He singled out the Paris Agreement saying it was a voluntary policy that revolves around priorities identified by benefiting countries and regional economic communities. The Paris Agreement deals with greenhouse gas emissions mitigation, adaptation and finance starting in the year 2020.
Mr. Rioux said that France was searching for more partnerships and projects noting that the bulk of the funding for climate change would go to non-sovereign actors namely the private sector, civil society and local authorities.
He said that the country supports regional integration the world over because of the country’s experience in Europe.
The AFD Chief Executive was speaking at the residence of the French Ambassador in Dar es Salaam during a meeting between the agency and an EAC Secretariat delegation led by the Deputy Secretary General in charge of Planning and Infrastructure, Eng. Steven Mlote.
On his part, the Ambassador of France to Tanzania and the EAC, H.E. Frederic Clavier, expressed concern at the glaring gaps between the skills needs of the private sector and the calibre of graduates churned out by East African universities.
“There are basically no capacity links between the training offered by universities and the needs of companies. There is an urgent need to support vocational training in the region,” said Amb. Clavier.
Amb. Clavier said that solar power should be a development priority everywhere in the world due to its convenience and affordability.
In his remarks, Eng. Mlote said that the EAC had made significant strides in the integration process, adding that the Custom Union and Common Market were already in place with steady progress being made towards the attainment of a single currency by the year 2024.
Eng. Mlote further cited achievements in the transport sector including the harmonisation of axle-load limits, driving standards, road sizes and signs, and cargo clearance and tracking systems.
Noting that one of the reasons for the collapse of the first EAC was lack of stakeholder engagement, Eng. Mlote said that the private sector was now a key player in the EAC integration.
On climate change, Eng. Mlote said that the region faces cross border climate change challenges whose mitigation cannot be undertaken individually by the Partner States.
He said that water levels in Lake Victoria, a major source of water and fishing in the region, had been severely affected by destruction of forest ecosystems from which some of its major tributaries originate.
Eng. Mlote told the French delegation that the EAC already had in place a Climate Change Strategy and Implementation Master Plan all of which were aimed at supporting national initiatives in the Partner States.
The DSG disclosed that the Community had already applied for accreditation to the Green Climate Fund, a fund established within the framework of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
On clean energy, Eng. Mlote indicated that clean energy sources were a major priority for the Community since 80 per cent of households still depend on charcoal and firewood for cooking.
The DSG informed the French delegation that the EAC Summit had approved French as one of the official languages of the Community and urged France to support the promotion of the language within the region.
In addition to climate change, clean energy, and private sector development, the EAC delegation also proposed to the French for support industrial development and SMEs, tourism and wildlife management, research and policy analysis and ICT.
Among the officials accompanying the AFD CEO was Mr. Bruno Deprince, the Director of AFD's Nairobi Regional Office. On the EAC side were Ms. Beata Mukabaranga, the Principal Resource Mobilization Officer, and Ms. Suma Mwakyusa, the Principal International Relations Officer.
NOTES TO EDITORS:
The French Development Agency (Agence francaise de development, AFD) is a public financial institution that works to fight poverty and promote sustainable development. AFD is active in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, the Caribbean and the French overseas territories where it finances and supports projects that improve living conditions for populations, promote economic growth and protect the planet.
AFD has its headquarters in Paris with teams based in Paris, Marseilles and in a network of 72 agencies and representations abroad and in the French overseas territories.
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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.
East African Court of Justice Arusha, 19th June 2018: The President of the East African Court of Justice, Hon Justice Dr Emmanuel Ugirashebuja, while at the opening of a three days sensitization workshop for the Judges, State Attorneys and Members of the Bar Association of the Republic of Uganda on the role of the Court in the advancement of the East African Community Integration agenda, called upon the participants to strengthen their cooperation and relationship with the Court.
His Lordship told the participants that, the future and effectiveness of the Court will largely depend on its relationship with other stakeholders. “Your role as Judges, State Attorneys and Advocates is very crucial in the development of the EAC laws, jurisprudence and uniform interpretation and application of the EAC law.” Said the President of the Court. He further added that, it is only jointly that the partners in the rule of law chain can develop the potential of East African integration and reap the benefits it offers.
Justice Ugirashebuja in his remarks further said that, East African integration is of utmost importance to all the Partner States in the region, economically, politically and socially and that through integration and the development of an internal market, economic growth is inevitably stimulated. However, he added that the path to a high level of political, socio-economic, cultural and financial integration is sometimes fraught with uncertainties, and is at times long and bumpy. Most of these challenges are legal.
The President also said that, as regional integration experience has shown, law plays an absolutely vital role in integration. It is law that provides the legal backbone of Regional integration. It is law that provides the concrete rights and benefits of regional integration to businesses and individuals. It is law that allows for the free and efficient movement within the internal market. And it is also within the legal framework that the political actors meet and interact. Justice Ugirashebuja stressed that because of the importance of law, regional integration requires good cooperation between all the partners in the rule of law chain: judges, lawyers, civil servants, academics, businesses and individuals. “We all must contribute to make the EAC a living legal reality.” He stated
His Lordship emphasized on the role of the court, which is crucial in resolving disputes which would otherwise threaten the survival of a Community. That the existence of dispute is real and to an extent an important ingredient of any development as a Community. He also said that the absence of dispute should not be the focus of the evolution of the EAC, but the focus should be on how we resolve the disputes. Justice Ugirashebuja further added that without an effective dispute resolution mechanism, the survival of the Community is at stake and that without its case law, and many principles that the Court has developed and will continue to develop, the Community will certainly not be where it is today and will not arrive at where it aims to be.
The Executive Director of the Judicial Training Institute (JTI) Hon Justice Henry Peter Adonyo, who was also in attendance, commended the EACJ President, “We at the Judicial Training Institute thank the EACJ for choosing to bring to the Institute this important exercise which could have very well been held elsewhere. We appreciate and thank you for your confidence in the Institute and we hope that we are not a disappointment to you.”
Justice Adonyo also noted that the sensitization workshop will equip you the participants with relevant knowledge about the EACJ and the EAC at large so that at the end of the day you have adequate knowledge and become familiar with the institutional arrangements of the East African Community and more especially the East African Court of Justice and thus reflect on how each and every one of us can contribute to its effectiveness.
The workshop was also attended by the Hon Lady Justice Jane Kiggundu representing the Principal Judge of the High Court of Uganda, the representative of the Attorney General of the Republic of Uganda, Mr J.B.R Suuza, President of the Uganda Law Society, Mr Simon Peter M. Kibone among others.
During the workshop, there were a number of paper presentations made on the role of the judiciaries in East Africa in the integration process and the relationship of EACJ with National Courts, a paper which was presented by the President of the Court (EACJ), Hon Justice Dr Emmanuel Ugirashebuja, a paper on the legal and Judicial framework of EAC and EACJ that was presented by the Hon Justice Dr Charles Oyo Nyawello, the Jurisprudence of the Appellate Division done by Justice Geoffrey Mupere Kiryabwire of the EACJ Appellate Division as well as Justice of the Court of Appeal of Uganda. Justice Kiryabwire also delivered a paper on the role of ICT in efficiency administration of Justice at the EACJ. Lastly there was a paper on the jurisprudence of the EACJ First Instance Division and judicial responsibilities by the Deputy Registrar Her Worship Ms Geraldine Umugwaneza and the Research Officer of the Court Ms Wanjiru Kathleen Rubia.
The Court has held the same sensitizations in some of the Partner States like the Republic of South Sudan, Burundi, now Uganda and next week will proceed to Rwanda and then later in Dar Es Salaam and Nairobi Kenya.
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For more information, please contact:
Yufnalis Okubo Registrar East African Court of Justice Arusha, Tanzania Tel: +255 27 2162149 mail: Okubo [at] eachq.org www.eacj.org
About the East African Court of Justice:
The East African Court of Justice (EACJ or ‘the Court’), is one of the organs of the East African Community established under Article 9 of the Treaty for the Establishment of the East African Community. Established in November 2001, the Court’s major responsibility is to ensure the adherence to law in the interpretation and application of and compliance with the EAC Treaty.
Arusha is the temporary seat of the Court until the Summit determines its permanent seat. The Court’s sub-registries are located in the respective National Courts in the Partner States.
Inter-University Council for East Africa (IUCEA), Kampala, Uganda, 19th May 2018: Higher Education stakeholders will meet to discuss the transformative higher education leadership for enhanced linkage between academia, public and private sector during the 9th IUCEA Annual Meeting that will take place on 21st – 22nd June 2018 in Bujumbura, Burundi at Hotel Panoramique.
Under the theme “Transformative Higher Education Leadership for Enhanced Linkage Between Academia, Public and Private Sectors”, Vice-Chancellors and Principals of member universities; representatives from Ministries responsible for higher education; and private sector from each Partner State will have an opportunity to discuss all aspects of industrialization. The discussions will look into the potential role of Higher Education institutions in the process through the partnership with the public and private sectors, both in terms of sharing of experience, knowledge and technology, enabling environment and adequacy of enabling environment for effective functioning of the partnerships. Other participants are the EAC Secretary General, the heads of commissions/councils for higher/university education, heads of national commissions/councils for science and technology, heads of EAC institutions and other higher education stakeholders.
The Annual Meeting will consist of two main parts: The Dialogue Session that will focus on the Theme of the Annual Meeting by discussing through keynote presentations on:
University leadership with notions on public sector and industry relations being shared,
Status of research in the EAC and role and prospects of the Higher Education sector contribution to enhancement of production and
Set-ups for Academia-Industry linkages, perspectives of both the academia and industry.
The second part will give an opportunity to higher education stakeholders and member universities to be briefed about the activities coordinated by IUCEA during 2017/2018, achievements made and challenges encountered.
Notes to the Editor:
Inter-University Council for East Africa (IUCEA), as a strategic institution of the East African Community (EAC) responsible for coordinating development of higher education and research in the region, has played a key role in coordinating various processes which include, among others: the Regional Quality Assurance System with its operational tools such the The Road Map to Quality: A Handbook for Quality Assurance in Higher Education in five volumes; Principles and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in Higher Education and benchmarks for academic programmes. Other documents include the East African Qualifications Framework for Higher Education (EAQFHE), which is both a human resources development tool and a platform for rationalization and mutual recognition of qualifications under the EAC Common Higher Education Area. IUCEA is steering a number of initiatives on the development of centres of excellence in various fields and levels, which will serve as hubs for the development of highly skilled human resources for the region. Mobility and networking of both academic staff and students, an important avenue for brain circulation as well as research and innovation information sharing facility are currently on top of IUCEA’s agenda to respond to various needs of our region. These developments reveal a unique and pivotal role the higher education plays in promoting enhanced socio-economic conditions for an integrated East African Community. The Annual Meeting is a platform for heads of higher education institutions to share among themselves and with Higher Education stakeholders, developments in higher education in the region and worldwide, in order to maintain and enhance the outputs and outcomes of their functions, reflective of competitiveness of the higher education sector in the East African Community. The 9th Annual Meeting has been organized in line with the provision in Section 7(1) of the IUCEA Act 2009, stating that “The Council shall meet at least once every year provided that one of such meetings shall be an Annual Meeting of the Council”.
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For more Information Contact: Wilhelmina Balyagati, Corporate and Public Relations Officer, Inter-University Council for East Africa Plot M833, Kigobe Road, Kyambogo, Kampala, P. O. Box 7110 Kampala, Uganda, Website: www.iucea.org Tel: 256 414 256251/2, Mob: +256 774165467 (Ug), Mob: +255 788 497339 (Tz)
About the Inter-University Council for East Africa:
The Inter-University Council for East Africa coordinates harmonisation of higher education and training systems in East Africa, facilitates their strategic development and promotes internationally comparable standards and systems.
For more information, please visit the IUCEA website.
East African Community Secretariat, Arusha, Tanzania, 16th June, 2018: The Executive Secretary of the East African Health Research Commission (EAHRC), Professor Gibson Kibiki, has decried the high number of East Africans going to India to seek medical services which can be accessed in hospitals in the region.
Prof. Kibiki attributed the huge exodus of patients to India to the lack of information on health services that were available at referral hospitals in the region.
Prof. Kibiki noted that some of the most sought after services by East Africans in the Asian country included diseases of the heart, the kidney and cancer that could be handled locally by EAC designated Regional Centres of Excellence (RCoEs).
The ES cited some of the RCoEs as those for Kidney Diseases (Kenya); Heart Diseases (Tanzania); Cancer (Uganda), and; eHealth, Biomedical Engineering and Health Rehabilitation Sciences (Rwanda).
Consequently, Prof. Kibiki would said that the Commission would soon avail on its updated website information on the RCoEs and the health services that they offer.
Prof. Kibiki was speaking at the EAHRC Headquarters in Bujumbura, Burundi when he received a delegation led by EAC Secretary General, Amb. Liberat Mfumukeko.
On HIV/AIDS, Prof. Kibiki disclosed that the Commission would focus its research on life-prolonging drugs and how to make them work better.
He cautioned members of the public and especially the youth that despite the huge advances made in combating HIV/AIDS, the disease is still with us and preventive measures were necessary.
The ES attributed the increasingly high level of resistance antibiotics to the practice of purchasing drugs over the counter and under dosages sometimes through self-prescription by members of the public.
He revealed that East Africans may soon be able to access treatment across national borders in addition to enjoying portable health insurance across the region, adding that the Commission would soon undertake research to gauge the feasibility of a regional health insurance scheme before piloting the scheme.
He described as counterproductive the tendency by health researchers and medics in the Partner States to work in silos since the region was one and that diseases did not know national borders.
In his remarks, EAC Secretary General Amb. Mfumukeko noted that the Commission brings together the best brains in health research from the entire region to tackle challenges faced by East Africans in accessing quality healthcare.
Amb. Mfumukeko said that the EAC Council of Ministers had put in place the Commission out of the realisation that the region could not forever be dependent on medical research conducted in developed countries.
The Secretary General further said that the Commission would give young researchers opportunities to hone their skills in the ever-changing medical field.
He hailed the Commission for mobilizing more than US$4 million for its operations from development partners over the last one year.
The SG has been on a tour of EAC Institutions and projects in Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi.
NOTES TO EDITORS:
The East African Health Research Commission (EAHRC) was established in 2008 and operationalized in the year 2015. EAHRC was established as a mechanism for making available to the Community advice on all matters of health and health-related research and finding that are necessary for knowledge generation, technological development, policy formulation and practice. The Commission is the principal advisory institution to the EAC on Health Research and Development (R&D).
The broad objective of the Commission is to promote, facilitate and coordinate the conduct and application of health research for the improvement of health and for the wellbeing of the people of East Africa. The Commission has its headquarters in Bujumbura, Burundi.
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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.
East African Community Secretariat, Arusha, Tanzania, 15th June, 2018:The Minister to the Office of the President responsible for East African Community Affairs in Burundi, Hon. Isabelle Ndahayo, has emphasized the need to involve all stakeholders including the ordinary people in the EAC integration process.
Hon. Ndahayo said that it was by making the integration process inclusive that stakeholders and citizens who are also the taxpayers would own the process and support it.
The Minister noted that the Treaty for the Establishment of the EAC was clear that the integration process should be people-driven with the private sector as the engine of economic growth.
Hon. Ndahayo said that inclusivity involved engaging stakeholders as much as possible in the formulation and implementation of policies on integration.
The Minister restated the commitment of the Government of Burundi to involve the private sector, civil society organisations and other interest groups in the integration process by establishing a National Dialogue Committee in accordance with the directive of the EAC Council of Ministers.
The Minister particularly singled out the role of the media whom she said were at the frontline in educating EAC citizens on the integration.
Hon. Ndahayo said that with the East African integration progressing at a steady pace, the role of the media would become critical in promoting socio-economic transformation in the region in addition to eliciting the full participation of the citizenry in the process.
The Minister made the remarks in a speech read on her behalf by her assistant, Ms. Clarette Inamahoro, at the opening session of the inaugural EAC Secretary General’s Media Forum held in Bujumbura. The forum drew participation from journalists in Burundi and other EAC Partner States as well representatives of civil society, the private sector and government of Burundi.
Hon. Ndahayo said that journalists should be able to act as catalysts in bridging the information and awareness gap between the EAC and the citizens while leveraging in addition to educating them on the status and achievements of the integration.
Addressing the forum, EAC Secretary General Amb. Liberat Mfumukeko said that one of the critical challenges facing the Community was lack of awareness on the integration process.
Amb. Mfumukeko said that the EAC had made significant achievements including increased trade volumes, infrastructure development, water supply and sanitation, and harmonization of education systems and curricula yet most East Africans could not link these achievements to the Community.
In his remarks, the Registrar of the East African Court of Justice, His Worship Yufnalis Okubo, said the Court had played a crucial role in dispensing justice to aggrieved East Africans with regard to matters touching on the violation of the provisions of the EAC Treaty.
Mr. Okubo noted that most of the cases that had been handled by the Court revolved around the violation of Article 6(d) of the Treaty which demands of Partner States to adhere to the universally acceptable principles of good governance, the rule of law, observance of human rights and social justice.
The Registar cited the case of the Republic of South Sudan whose election of MPs to the East African Legislative Assembly was nullified by the Court after a citizen successfully sued the government for breach of the election rules as specified by the Treaty. The South Sudan National Legislative Assembly subsequently conducted an election of the country’s nine EALA MPs in accordance with the provisions of the Treaty.
On his part, the Deputy Executive Secretary of the East African Science and Technology Commission, Dr. Saidi Kibeya, said that the region would not achieve the goals it had set for itself in increasing trade and socio-economic growth if it didn’t promote Science, Technology and Innovations.
Dr. Kibeya said that it was incumbent upon governments, academic and research institutions to work with the private sector to transform innovations into products and services that could be competitive on the international market.
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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.
East African Community Secretariat, Arusha, Tanzania, 14th June, 2018: East African Community Secretary General Amb. Liberat Mfumukeko has underscored the role of Science, Technology and Innovations (STI) in transforming East Africa countries from largely agro-based economies into competitive industrialized ones.
Amb. Mfumukeko said that the six EAC Partner States have great capacity to create wealth for their citizens by harnessing STI to attain industrial development.
Amb. Mfumukeko said it was worrying that the region was at the moment consuming goods that were manufactured elsewhere, adding that by doing this it was exporting jobs and revenues that would ordinarily have benefited EAC citizens.
The Secretary General further noted that innovators in the region have little or no assistance from governments and other stakeholders in STI to transform their ideas into products and services.
He said that to address these and other challenges to industrialization in East Africa, the EAC had put in place the East African Science and Technology Commission (EASTECO), an institution of the EAC that would push for the promotion of STI throughout the region.
Amb. Mfumukeko said that it was by promoting a culture of innovations that the region would be able to make its industrial and service sectors more productive and competitive.
The SG was speaking when he toured the EASTECO Headquarters in Kigali, Rwanda.
The SG disclosed that more than 50 per cent of the EAC population consisted of well-educated youth in need of jobs, adding that the Community would therefore work with all stakeholders to promote innovations and singled out the private sector that he described as the main creator of employment in the world today.
In her remarks, the Executive Secretary of EASTECO, Ms. Gertrude Ngabirano, said it was unfortunate that East Africa was still exporting raw materials to industrialized nations and in turn importing goods manufactured from the same raw material at prices 10 times higher than the value of its exports.
Ms. Ngabirano said the onus was on the region to reverse this trend by using technology to produce more and add value to its raw materials.
The ES said that countries that had the capacity to innovate were the only ones with greater potential to grow their economies. She said EAC countries could harness synergies in STI with each specializing in different sectors.
Also present at the function was the Deputy Executive Secretary of EASTECO, Dr. Saidi Kibeya.
Amb. Mfumukeko later toured the Lake Victoria Water and Sanitation (LVWATSAN) projects in Nyanza district, 90km south of Kigali.
Five EAC Partner States namely Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania received US$25 million each through to implement water supply and sanitation projects.
Among the projects the SG toured were the LVWATSAN water intake and supply projects that provide clean drinking water to the 48,000 residents of Nyanza town and its environs.
The local residents said the project had transformed the lives and spurred economic activity in the town.
Accompanying the SG on the tour were Governor of Rwanda’s Southern Province Governor, Ms. Marie Rose Mureshyankwano, the Mayor of Nyanza District, Hon. Ntazinda Erasme, and Ms. Gisele Umuhumuza, the Deputy CEO (Water and Sanitation Services) at the Nyanza Water and Sanitation Company.
NOTES TO EDITORS:
The East African Science and Technology (EASTECO) is an institution of the EAC whose mandate is to promote cooperation in the development of science and technology within the Community. EASTECO’s specific objectives include among other things: Regional Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) policy formulation; Joint development and application of science and technology, and; promotion of regiona research centres of excellence.
Lake Victoria Water Supply and Sanitation (LVWATSAN II) Project is a programme of the EAC, coordinated by the Lake Victoria Basin Commission (LVBC) and implemented in 15 towns within five Partner States of the Community. The African Development Bank (AfDB) and the EAC Partner States are the financiers of the programme.
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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.
East African Court of Justice Arusha, 11th June 2018: The East African Court of Justice First Instance Division on 11th June 2018 heard the matter instituted by Ismail Dabule on his behalf and on behalf of 1004 other Ugandan residents against the Attorney General of the Republic of Uganda, sued on behalf of the Government.
Counsel for the Applicants submitted that, the matter was filed within the two months time limit required under Article 30(2) of the Treaty Establishing the East African Community. Counsel argued that, the gist of the case is based on alleged refusal by the Minister of Finance of the Government of Uganda to release the Applicants unfrozen funds after the decisions of the Constitutional and Supreme Court of Uganda respectively clarified that there is no law in place freezing the Applicants accounts and thus the Applicants were free to access their bank accounts. Counsel argued that, on 5th August 2016 the Applicants wrote a letter to the aforesaid Minister demanding for release of their funds and the letter was received by the Minister on 6th August 2016. In the letter the Applicants stated, if no response is made to their final demand in the letter, the Applicants shall consider the silence as refusal by the Government to release the aforesaid alleged unfrozen funds. On this basis, Counsel argued that the two months time limitation began to run from 6th August 2016 when the Applicants did not receive any response from the Minister of Finance with regard to the letter.
Counsel for the Applicants further argued, after the Constitutional and Supreme Court of Uganda have clarified as to whether or not there was a law freezing the Applicants accounts, the action of the Government of Uganda refusing to release the money without any justification is what the Applicants consider a violation of Articles 6(d) & 7(2) of the Treaty, the right to property under Article 14 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights as well as Article 26 of Ugandan Constitution. Further argued, Uganda being a member of the Treaty, is bound to adhere to the rule of law and good governance. Thus, refusing to release the Applicants money even after the aforesaid decisions of Constitutional and Supreme Court of Uganda is a breach of Articles 6(d) & 7(2) of the Treaty in relation to the principles of good governance, rule of law and promotion and protection of human rights.
Further argued that, in the aforesaid letter dated 5th August 2016 the Applicants requested for information in regard to their accounts held by the Bank of Uganda to determine the position and amounts available. However, the Minister of Finance refused as well to provide the Applicants with the aforementioned documents. The refusal by the Minister of Finance to provide the Applicants with the documents and account balances in relation to their frozen accounts is also a violation of Article 6(d) and 7(2) of the Treaty as well as Article 41 of Uganda Constitution which enjoys citizens the right to information.
Further, the continued refusal by the Government of Uganda to release the Applicants funds without bring them to Court as to why their money is held is a violation of Article 28(1) of the Constitution of Uganda which requires in determination of any civil rights and obligations or any criminal charge a person shall be entitled to a fair, speedy and public hearing before an impartial tribunal established by law. It is the Applicants contention that the Government continued refusal without saying anything amount to torture which is restricted under Article 44 A as well as Article 24 of the Constitution of Uganda.
Counsel pray that the Court declares the above actions of the Government of Uganda as a violation of the Treaty and order the Government of Uganda to comply with the Treaty as well as grant the Applicants cost incidental to the case.
The Respondent on their part argued that, the case has been filed out of the time limitation period required under the Treaty and no exception is provided under the Treaty on the requirement. It is the Respondent submission that, the time for the Applicants to institute the case started far back from 2004 when they instituted a Civil suit before the High Court in Kampala, Uganda and the same was dismissed on 31st October 2013 for being time barred, a decision which was not appealed against. on this basis the matter is time barred and should be strike out with cost.
Further, Counsel for the Applicant did not point out which Court decision clarified the right of the Applicants to access their unfrozen funds. The Supreme Court of Uganda only offered guidance to the Applicants to submit their claims before any ordinary Court for investigation and redress. The Supreme Court did not declare the right of the Applicants to be paid their frozen money.
Moreover, no Judgement or decision from any Ugandan Court that have declared the rights of the Applicants to have access to their frozen accounts. Further, Applicants never filed any suit before any Court of Uganda to substantially investigate and concussively make a determination of the Applicants alleged rights of having access to their frozen accounts. That it is not true that time for the filing of the matter started when Court made a determination that they have a right to access their accounts. The Respondent however brought to the Court attention that there is a pending matter in this respect before the High Court of Uganda (Civil Suit No. 300 of 2015) between the Applicants, Bank of Uganda and the Respondent which have not been heard and neither finally determined. To the Respondent surprise the Applicants went ahead to file the present matter before this Court. The Applicants submission that the Respondent has failed to release the frozen funds after the alleged clarification by the Constitutional and Supreme Court is not tenable and a misrepresentation as no Court have substantively adjudicated upon the alleged Applicants rights.
The Respondent therefore contended among other things that they are not in violation of the Treaty provisions and the Applicants attempts of pursuing the same matter in the High Court of Uganda and in this Court is an abuse of the Court process. The Respondent submitted that the Applicants are not entitled to any remedy and finally invited the Court to invoke its inherent powers and strike the Reference.
Court will deliver its judgement on notice.
Applicants were represented by Counsel Omongole Richard while Ojiambo Bichachi and Esther Nyangoma appeared for the Respondent.
The First Instance Division bench was composed of Honorable Judges Lady Justice Monica Mugenyi (Principal Judge), Honourable Justice Dr. Faustin Ntezilyayo , Honourable Justice Fakihi A. Jundu, Honourable Justice Audace Ngiye and Honourable Jusitce Dr Charles O. Nyawello.
Note for Editors:
Articles 6(d) provides on; Fundamental Principles of the Community
The fundamental principles that shall govern the achievement of the objectives of the Community by the Partner States shall include:
(d) good governance including adherence to the principles of democracy, the rule of law, accountability, transparency, social justice, equal opportunities, gender equality, as well as the recognition, promotion and protection of human and peoples rights in accordance with the provisions of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights;
Article 7 : Operational Principles of the Community
The Partner States undertake to abide by the principles of good governance, including adherence to the principles of democracy, the rule of law, social justice and the maintenance of universally accepted standards of human rights
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For more information, please contact:
Yufnalis Okubo Registrar East African Court of Justice Arusha, Tanzania Tel: +255 27 2162149 mail: Okubo [at] eachq.org www.eacj.org
About the East African Court of Justice:
The East African Court of Justice (EACJ or ‘the Court’), is one of the organs of the East African Community established under Article 9 of the Treaty for the Establishment of the East African Community. Established in November 2001, the Court’s major responsibility is to ensure the adherence to law in the interpretation and application of and compliance with the EAC Treaty.
Arusha is the temporary seat of the Court until the Summit determines its permanent seat. The Court’s sub-registries are located in the respective National Courts in the Partner States.
East African Community Secretariat, Arusha, Tanzania, 11 June, 2018:
The EAC region is taking action to prevent future outbreaks of infectious diseases by strengthening its response capacity, supporting Partner States in their pandemic preparedness measures and preparing to test its readiness in practice. These efforts are in line with a new World Health Organization (WHO) guidance document that lists 5 out of the 6 East African Community (EAC) Partner States as priority countries regarding the risk of a spread of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
In its “Regional Strategic EVD Readiness Preparedness Plan”, WHO ranked Burundi, Rwanda, South Sudan and Tanzania as priority 2 and Uganda as priority 3 countries. The ratings are determined based on the countries’ proximity to DRC and the capacity of their health systems to cope with an Ebola outbreak. EAC Partner States share borders with the DRC, maintain direct flights and close trade relations and there is high border traffic. These factors have caused the EAC to be on high alert, and Partner States are implementing extensive readiness measures. To date, no cases of Ebola have been detected in the EAC region.
EAC preventive activities cover key technical areas listed in WHO’s new EVD Readiness Plan, such as multi-sectoral coordination, risk communications, social mobilisation and community engagement. The EAC has a regional contingency plan in place that reflects the multi-disciplinary One Health disease management approach and is currently developing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to translate the plan into action. The plan considers important lessons learned from East African experts who fought Ebola in West Africa. One of these lessons is that risk and crisis communication together with community engagement was a “game changer” in the response. Consequently, the EAC Secretariat together with the Partner States is currently developing a regional risk and crisis communication strategy and related SOPs.
Standard operating procedures will also be developed as a first step towards establishing a regional pool of rapidly deployable experts that build on the experience gathered in West Africa. The pool is expected to complement national rapid response teams during future outbreaks. A core team of multi-disciplinary experts will receive training in risk and crisis communication, and another core team will be trained as regional trainers in rapid risk assessment.
To test the successful implementation of the mentioned strategies, the functionality of the SOPs and the region’s improved capacities, the EAC together with the Partner States is preparing to conduct cross-border simulation exercises. They will also offer a unique opportunity to reveal the gaps that still need to be closed in joint efforts.
On behalf of the German Government, the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH through the “Support to Pandemic Preparedness in the EAC Region” project amongst other development partners supports the EAC Secretariat in its endeavour to strengthen its advisory and coordinating role for the Partner States in pandemic preparedness.
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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
Othieno Richard Owora
Principle Corporate and Communications Officer
East African Community Secretariat
Tel: +255 27 2162 100
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
