East African Community Secretariat; Arusha, Tanzania; 15 August 2017:
The 2nd Executive Board meeting of the East African Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (EACREEE) was held in Kampala, Uganda on 11th August, 2017.
The well-attended board meeting from Partner States except the Republic of South Sudan was the follow up of the first meeting which was held on June 10, 2016.
Addressing the board members, the Chairman of the Executive Board and Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development, Uganda, Dr. Steven Isabalija, hailed the continued support of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the Austrian Development Agency (ADA) to the East African Community in the Energy and more specifically in Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency.
He acknowledged the challenges faced by EACREEE in its early stages of operation and urged collective efforts among stakeholders in addressing the same.
On his part, the EAC Deputy Secretary General in charge of the Productive and Social Sectors, Hon Christophe Bazivamo, informed the board that the EAC integration was business oriented, adding that energy was key to promoting business in the region.
"Low energy access rates, expensive electricity, poor cooking solutions have been hampering the region's development," said Hon Bazivamo.
He reminded the meeting that the original plan of EAC was to have EACREEE as an EAC institution, however due to financial constraints other innovative ways were devised and hence College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology (CEDAT) was selected to host EACREEE as a Centre of Excellence.
Hon. Bazivamo disclosed that efforts were underway for the EAC through the Inter -University Council of East Africa to ensure effective management of the EAC Centers of Excellence through the harmonization of management guidelines.
The Principal of CEDAT, Prof Henry Alinaitwe, thanked the EAC Council of Ministers for selecting CEDAT to host EACREE and commended the support of UNIDO and ADA towards the Centre. Prof. Alinaitwe revealed that since its inauguration, CEDAT has been working with several stakeholders to advance the Centre's activities.
During the deliberations, the meeting took note of the progress report and of the challenges experienced by College of Engineering, Art, Design and Technology (CEDAT) in the implementation process especially in regards to the registration of EACREEE as a legal entity handling programmes that are regional in nature.
The meeting agreed on the need for formulation of a Roadmap/Transitional document on how and when the Centre will graduate from being hosted in CEDAT to be a fully-fledged Centre of EAC.
Against the above observations and to take matters forward, the meeting arrived at the following resolutions:
Urged Makerere University CEDAT in collaboration with EAC Secretariat to expedite implementation of the decision of the 33rd meeting of Council by registering a semi-autonomous EACREEE under CEDAT.
Urged CEDAT to open a separate account under Makerere University CEDAT in the name of EACREEE by 30th September 2017;
Requested the EAC Secretariat in collaboration with CEDAT to work on the transitional roadmap in line with decisions of the 33rd Meeting of the Council of Ministers.
The Executive Board to continue managing EACREEE under the current set up and;
The Sectoral Council to reconsider the governing structure of EACREEE.
The meeting also took note of the proposal presented by UNIDO on the tentative agenda for conducting a sustainable energy forum for EAC by EACREEE in February 2018. The meeting commended the initiative by UNIDO and requested the formation of a joint organizing committee. The Forum will be organized in one of the EAC Partner States that were requested to support the forum. The meeting requested Partner States to express interest in hosting this conference by 30th September, 2017.
The Technical Committee and National Focal Institutions (NFI) for EACREEE as well as launching the Centre on 11th June, 2016.
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Notes to Editor:
The 33rd Meeting of the Council of Ministers held on 29th February 2016 designated the College of Engineering, Art, Design and Technology (CEDAT), Makerere University, Kampala,Uganda as a Centre of Excellence for renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (EACREEE) and directed that CEDAT collaborates with other institutions dealing with Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency within the Partner States. Based on the approved Project Document, the 11th Sectoral Council on Energy directed the EAC Secretariat to implement the directive of the council by constituting the Executive Board.
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, Tanznaia; 10 August 2017:
The 2nd East African Bicycle Tour dubbed Tour d’EAC was flagged off yesterday at the EAC headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania by the Deputy Secretary General in charge of Planning and Infrastructure, Eng. Steven Mlote, on behalf of the EAC Secretary General.
The 2nd Tour d'EAC 2017, organized by Campfire Logs Guild, an initiative of idealized young East Africans with diverse adventure background committed to the development of young people through Adventure Learning/Training Programs, brought together a team of 27 cyclists from all six EAC Partner States. Among the team of cyclists, 2 are physically impaired.
Participation in the Tour d'EAC is open for all citizens of the EAC region who are enthusiastic about adventure and tourism. This year, the initiative with a 45-day expedition is themed; “Unlocking East Africa’s Trade and Tourism potential through an effective and efficient Integration Process”.
The 2nd Tour d’EAC follows the very first successfully concluded Tour d’EAC 2016, which took place from August 1st to September 3rd, 2016.
The organizers realized that the entire region is blessed with many economic opportunities and tourism attractions – diverse cultures, nature, recreation and the warmth resilience of the hardworking people – all of which help to boost East Africa’s economy, and concluded that if marketed effectively and efficiently, these resources have the potential to develop EAC.
Speaking briefly at the flag off, the Director and Team Leader of the Campfire Logs Guild Initiative, Mr. John Bosco Balango outlined the goal of the cyclists initiative, which is to promote the spirit of the East African Community among the people of East Africa; promote tourism and business potential of the Community while enhancing the awareness of social and cultural peculiarities of people and places in the EAC.
“In other words, the event seeks to promote the integration agenda by sensitizing the citizens of East Africa along the way and helping them understand and own the integration process”, reiterated Mr. Balongo, adding that " the East African bicycle tour is an expression of unity, oneness, togetherness and peace”.
The Director Trade at the East African Community Secretariat, Mr. Alhaj Rashid Kibowa, who received the team on arrival in Arusha from Uganda via Kenya, saluted and commended the youthful cyclists for their committed efforts towards the voluntary exercise.
The Director stated that the Tour d’EAC will go a long way in promoting the EAC and marketing the integration agenda by exposing the people at the grass-roots to information about EAC in regards to its existence, achievements, opportunities, benefits and challenges in order for them to fully embrace the integration pillars. The Director also thanked GIZ for their firm support in making the initiative a reality.
In his remarks prior to the flagging off , Eng. Steven Mlote applauded the team for their commitment towards the noble cause and encouraged them to keep rekindling the East African spirit across the EAC Partner States. He urged them to establish the event as an annual event in collaboration with the EAC Secretariat, aimed at championing the integration agenda. Eng. Mlote also urged the cyclists whom he called true ambassadors of the EAC, to advocate for peace and tranquillity throughout their entire journey.
The team has so far ridden from Kampala, Uganda to Arusha, Tanzania via Nairobi, Kenya and is yet to complete the full cycle of the trail route via Dar-es-Salaam, Dodoma, Kigoma, Bujumbura, Kigali and finally back to Kampala; covering 5,600 kilometers.
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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; Kigali, Rwanda; 06 August 2017:
Three Election Observer Missions including the East African Community (EAC), Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and the International Conference of the Great Lakes (ICGLR) have given a clean bill to the Rwandan Presidential Election in which President Paul Kagame won with a landslide.
In preliminary statements at a press briefing in Kigali today, the Heads of Mission of the three Election Observer Missions (EOMs) said that the election was free and fair and that it was held in a peace and secure atmosphere.
The three, Hon. Moody Awori for EAC, Bishop Mary Nkosi (COMESA) and Hon. Arinaitwe Rwajakara further noted that all presidential candidates including the two from the opposition were provided with security and allowed to campaign freely across the country.
They noted that the media, both public and private, played a crucial role in the campaigns by according balanced and equitable coverage to all the presidential candidates during campaigns in addition to highlighting the key policy issues that were at the heart of the campaigns.
“It was noted that the media including the state-owned Rwanda Broadcasting Agency radio and television stations gave equal airtime to the three presidential candidates to market themselves to the electorate. The EAC EOM noted that while editorial airtime was doled out equally to the candidates, the ruling Rwandan Patriotic Front was more visible in the political advertising segment as the only entity that bought advertising slots,” said Awori.
Noting that only the ruling Rwandan Patriotic Front party had agents at nearly all the polling stations, the EOMs called on all Political Parties and Independent Candidates to facilitate the deployment of agents at most polling rooms.
In their preliminary recommendations, the three EOMs however called for capacity building especially the need to train polling clerks on election management.
The three missions also emphasized the need for continuous voter/civic education to empower citizens to make informed decisions on Election Day.
They recommended that the practice of playing loud music while the voting process was underway be reconsidered, as it appeared disruptive and noisy.
In its recommendations, EAC urged the Executive and Parliament in Rwanda to consider amending the electoral laws to further empower the National Electoral Commission (NEC) and enhance its autonomy.
EAC also asked the Executive and Legislature in Rwanda to consider legislation to provide for equitable public funding of electoral campaigns.
EAC advised the NEC to explore prospects of limiting support by security agencies to providing security and progressively delinking security personnel from transportation of election materials as per good international practice.
In its recommendation, COMESA urged the Government of Rwanda and NEC to gradually consider incorporating information technology in the electoral process, particularly the transmission of results.
The Rwandan presidential election was contested by the incumbent president Paul Kagame of the Rwandan Patriotic Front, Frank Habineza of the Democratic Green Party and journalist Philippe Mpayimana who is running as an independent candidate. President Kagame won the election sweeping 98 per cent of the votes cast.
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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; Nairobi, Kenya; 05 August 2017:
The East African Community Election Observer Mission to Kenya’s 8th August 2017 General Elections yesterday flagged off by the Head of the Mission (HoM), Hon. Prof. Edward B. Rugumayo in Nairobi, Kenya.
Addressing the Observers and the Media, the HoM commended the people of Kenya for so far conducting themselves with maturity in one of the most vibrant election campaigns the country had ever seen.
“I trust that this level of dignity, level mindedness and peace will be upheld throughout the campaigning period, on Election Day and thereafter,” asserted Prof. Rugumayo, adding that “a transparent and peaceful election will manifest the sovereign of all Kenyans to democratically choose their leaders and guarantee peace, stability and economic growth in the country and the region as a whole”. Prof. Rugumayo commended the EAC Election Observers for the dedication and commitment that they had displayed by agreeing to be part of the mission to observe the General Elections in Kenya.
The Head of the Mission flagged off 60 Observers who will cover 21 counties of the 47 counties in the country. The Mission is to observe that the elections are conducted in a transparent, credible, free and fair environment and are in line with the universally acceptable principles of democracy and good governance.
The Observers will follow the campaigns; meet election officials, the populace, candidates and other stakeholders up to and beyond Election Day.
The Observer Mission will release a Preliminary Report on 10th August 2017 after the election and the long-term observer team will spend two more weeks after the election to compile the final observation report with recommendations to the various stakeholders in the Kenya electoral system.
Meanwhile, the Head of the Mission has continued to engage with the various stakeholders during this period. He has met and held discussions with the Chief Justice, David Maraga on the state of preparedness of the Judiciary to the forthcoming General Elections.
The HoM also met the Chair of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission Mr. Wafula Chebukati and engaged with the Presidential Candidate Dr. Ekuru Aukot of Thirdway Alliance Kenya (TAK).
The HoM and the EAC Observers received briefings by the Secretary General of the Jubilee Party, Hon. Rapheal Tuju, and from the Chief Executive Officer of the NASA, Mr. Norman Mayaga.
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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; Kigali, Rwanda; 01 August 2017:
he Heads of the East African Community (EAC) and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Election Observer Missions (EOMs) have hailed the Republic of Rwanda for holding a cost effective presidential election.
Hon. Moody Awori for EAC and Bishop Mary Nkosi (COMESA) further praised the preparedness of the Rwanda National Electoral Commission (NEC) to conduct the election slated for Friday, 4th August, 2017.
Hon. Awori and Bishop Nkosi observed that the 2017 presidential election would not be as expensive as the previous one held in 2010 in that the unit cost had reduced to US$1 from US$3 per voter.
The two leaders further said it was noteworthy that the NEC has just 55 permanent staff and would rely on 70,000 volunteers thereby cutting down heavily on operational expenses.
They further noted that the people of Rwanda were conducting peaceful and orderly campaigns.
Hon. Awori and Bishop Nkosi held a meeting at the Kigali Serena Hotel where the EAC EOM Secretariat is based. Both Mission heads have already met the Chair of the NEC to assess its preparedness for the election.
Hon. Awori informed Bishop Nkosi that members of the EAC EOM had already been trained, provided with observation gadgets and flagged off to the 30 districts of Rwanda.
The former Kenyan Vice President said that a multiple level general election as is the case in most African countries often brings about numerous logistical challenges compounded with the vast geographical sizes.
“In Rwanda, it is notable that there are only three candidates contesting in the presidential election,” he said.
Apart from the EAC, COMESA and the African Union, the International Conference of the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) and the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) will observe the Rwandan election.
Hon. Awori and Bishop Nkosi said that it would be ideal if the EAC, COMESA and other African observation missions present their preliminary reports jointly on 6th August, 2017.
The Rwandan presidential election is will be contested by the incumbent president Paul Kagame of the Rwandan Patriotic Front, Frank Habineza of the Democratic Green Party and journalist Philippe Mpayimana who is running as an independent candidate.
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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; Nairobi, Kenya; 01 August 2017:
The East African Community Election Observation Mission to Kenya’s 8th August 2017 General Elections has been launched in Nairobi, Kenya, with an appeal to all Kenyans to vote calmly and uphold peace and tranquillity for the betterment of all Kenyans and the East African region as a whole.
Launching the Mission this morning, the Head of the Mission, Hon. Prof. Edward B. Rugumayo said the Treaty for the Establishment of the EAC mandates and tasks the Partner States to enhance universally acceptable principles of good governance that include democracy, rule of law, freedom, observance of human rights and social justice, accountability, transparency, equal opportunities, gender equality; and cooperation in political affairs.
Prof. Rugumayo disclosed that the Mission comprises 60 members, drawn from Electoral Management Bodies, National Legislative Assemblies, members of the Former East African Legislative Assembly, National Human Rights Commissions, Civil Society, EAC Youth Ambassadors and the EAC Secretariat.
Prof. Rugumayo further disclosed that the Community attaches great importance to promotion of democratic governance as a strong foundation for the region’s political and economic integration, which is also the guarantee for political stability in the region.
“Our vision of a prosperous, competitive, secure, stable and politically united East Africa can only be attained through economic growth, peace and security with a stamp of legitimate governments by the citizenry, asserted the Head of the Mission, adding that “this is why we are keen on free and fair, transparent and credible elections in all the Partner States”.
He wished the citizens of Kenya success in choosing their President and all other leaders through this important democratic exercise, saying “it is in this way that the gains in democracy, national development and reconciliation processes made will be consolidated for securing the future of Kenyans“.
“The people of East Africa will continue to accompany the Kenyans in this and other endeavours towards promotion of sustainable homegrown solutions”.
At the same occasion, the EAC Deputy Secretary General in charge of Political Federation, Mr. Charles Njoroge, said the Community was proud to be associated with elections in the Partner States under the guidance of the EAC Treaty and decisions of the Council of Ministers. He commended representatives from sister Observer Missions from COMESA, IGAD, AU and EU for attending the occasion.
The Deputy Secretary General urged the EAC Election Observers to be impartial and objective and be guided by the democratic principles and values outlined in the African Charter for Democracy, Elections and Governance and the EAC Principles for Election Observation and Evaluation.
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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; Kigali, Rwanda; 31 July 2017:
The Head of the EAC Election Observer Mission (EOM) to the 2017 Rwandan Presidential Election, former Kenyan Vice President Moody Awori, today flagged off 30 Observers who will assess the election in the 30 districts of the country.
Mr. Awori, who flagged off the 10 teams at a Kigali hotel, thanked the people of Rwanda for conducting themselves with maturity in the ongoing election campaigns.
“I trust that you will uphold dignity and peace even on the Election Day and thereafter,” he said.
The former Vice President further said that a transparent and peaceful election will be a plus not just for Rwanda but for the entire EAC region as well.
“The sovereign will of the people expressed through a democratic process is a guarantee for peace, stability and economic growth,” he said, adding that Rwanda had set a good example for the rest of the continent over the past two decades.
“Rwanda is a small country with big ideas but its resilient recovery from a painful past is a remarkable lesson for Africa whose citizens all yearn for peace and development,” he said.
“Your experience shows that with political commitment and sheer determination, there is no limit to humanity’s potential to achieve.”
The EAC has deployed a total of 10 teams of EAC Observers to all Provinces of Rwanda sampling 30 districts to assess the level of preparedness of the elections as well as the polling process.
The Mission will issue a statement of its preliminary findings on the elections on 6th August, 2017 through a press conference with a comprehensive report subsequently being issued by the EAC through its policy organs after the end of the electoral process in Rwanda.
The Rwandan presidential election, which will be held on 4th August, 2017, is will be contested by the incumbent president Paul Kagame of the Rwandan Patriotic Front, Frank Habineza of the Democratic Green Party and journalist Philippe Mpayimana who is running as an independent candidate.
The EOM comprises 30 short-term observers drawn from the East African Legislative Assembly, national Human Rights Commissions, Electoral Management Bodies, Civil Society, EAC Youth Ambassadors and the Staff of the EAC Secretariat.
The Mission arrived in Kigali on 26th July, 2017 and will remain in the country until 7th August, 2017. It was preceded by a team of election experts from the EAC Partner States who arrived on 16th July, 2017.
The Mission will observe the concluding stages of the election campaigns and engage with various stakeholders as well as observe the voting and counting processes on and after 4th August, 2017.
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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; 28 July 2017:
The East African Community attaches great importance to the promotion of democracy which will in turn guarantee political stability in the region.
The Head of the EAC Election Observer Mission (EOM) to Rwanda, former Kenyan Vice President Moody Awori, said that no country could expect to attain economic growth, peace and security without the stamp of legitimacy from its citizens.
“This is why we as a Community are keen on free, fair and transparent elections in all the six Partner States,” said Mr. Awori.
Mr. Awori disclosed that the Community will be deploying a total of 10 teams of EAC Observers to all the Provinces of Rwanda sampling 30 districts to assess the level of preparedness of the elections as well as the polling process.
“The Mission will issue a statement of its preliminary findings on the elections on 6th August, 2017 through a press conference,” said the former VP, adding that the EAC would subsequently release a comprehensive report through its policy organs after the end of the electoral process in Rwanda.
Mr. Awori made the remarks when he formally launched the Mission at a Kigali hotel.
The Rwandan presidential election, which will be held on 4th August, 2017, will be contested by the incumbent president Paul Kagame of the Rwandan Patriotic Front, Frank Habineza of the Democratic Green Party and journalist Philippe Mpayimana who is running as an independent candidate.
The former VP said that in its assessment of the electoral process, the EAC Mission would be guided by the democratic principles and values outlined in the African Charter for Democracy, Elections and Governance, and the EAC Principles for Election Observation and Evaluation.
The EOM comprises 30 short-term observers drawn from the East African Legislative Assembly, national Human Rights Commissions, Electoral Management Bodies, Civil Society, EAC Youth Ambassadors and the Staff of the EAC Secretariat.
The Mission arrived in Kigali on 26th July, 2017 and will remain in the country until 7th August, 2017. It was preceded by a team of election experts from the EAC Partner States who arrived on 16th July, 2017.
The Mission will observe the concluding stages of the election campaigns and engage with various stakeholders as well as observe the voting and counting processes on and after 4th August, 2017.
Also present at the launch were the EAC Deputy Secretary General in charge of Political Federation, Mr. Charles Njoroge, and Ms. Flavia Sarafina, acting Director General at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and East African Affairs, Rwanda.
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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; 27 July 2017:
The East African Community is dispatching Election Observer Missions to the Presidential Elections in the Republic of Rwanda scheduled to take place on 4th August 2017, and to the General Elections in the Republic of Kenya, due to take place on 8th August 2017.
The Missions in the two Partner States are being undertaken in two phases; the Long Term Observer Mission/or Pre Election Mission (PEMi); and the Short Term Election Observer Mission. The EAC Long Term Observer Mission/or Pre Election Mission (PEMi) arrived in Rwanda and Kenya respectively on 16th July 2017 and will depart on 14th August 2017. The Short Term Election Observer Mission arrived in Rwanda on Wednesday 26th July and will depart on 7th August, while for Kenya, it will arrive on 30th July and depart on 11th August 2017.
In line with the Guiding Policy, the two Partner States (Rwanda and Kenya) will not observe their own elections.
The EAC Elections Observer Missions to the two Partner States are in response to the invitation by their National Electoral Management Bodies to the Secretariat as well as a response to the decision of the EAC Council of Ministers on observation of elections in the Partner States. The Missions’ mandate is to observe the overall electoral environment, pre-election activities, the polling day, the counting and tallying of results.
The members of the EAC Election Observer Missions have been drawn from different but complementary disciplines and includes, former Members of the East African Legislative Assembly (nominated by their countries) as well as Members of National Assemblies from Tanzania, Uganda, South Sudan and Burundi; National Electoral Commissions; National Human Rights Commissions; Civil society organizations; and youth representatives from EAC Youth Ambassadors Platform.
Commenting ahead of the deployment of the EAC Election Observer Missions, the EAC Deputy Secretary General in charge of Political Federation, Mr. Charles Njoroge says the two Missions were being undertaken pursuant to Article 3 of the Treaty for the Establishment of the East African Community which requires “…adherence to universally acceptable principles of democratic governance and in line with the EAC Principles of Election Observation and Evaluation.
The EAC Deputy Secretary General asserts that “as the region moves deeper in the integration process with the ultimate goal of having a Political Federation, EAC Partner States need to standardize their governance practices and should take keen interest in each other’s’ political and electoral processes”.
Mr. Njoroge contends that successful and peaceful elections in the two Partner States are of paramount importance to the regional integration agenda in order to underpin the outstanding milestones the region has so far achieved through regional integration. “Therefore we expect successful missions in the two Partner States and we very much hope that they will further strengthen the democratic process and advance development in the region’.
The Heads of the Missions are expected to prepare Reports for consideration by the EAC Council of Ministers ahead of transmittal to the respective National Electoral Management Bodies for implementation as may be deemed appropriate.
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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; 24 July 2017:
The East African Community Secretariat has prepared the 1st regional Industrial Competitiveness Report 2017, which will be released to the public in October 2017.
The inaugural Industrial Competitiveness Report (ICR) 2017 is the result of collaboration among selected experts from the EAC Secretariat and Partner States, from both public and private sector, trained by United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) experts in selected courses and methodologies, including the UNIDO Competitiveness Industrial Performance Analysis, under the regional project Strengthening institutional capacities for industrial policy in the East African Community (EAC) and funded by the Republic of Korea.
Addressing a stakeholder workshop convened to discuss the findings at the EAC Headquarters on Thursday 20th July 2017, the EAC Deputy Secretary General (Finance and Administration), Hon. Jesca Eriyo said the Report was one of the analytical output stemming from the EAC-UNIDO Programme for Strengthening Institutional Capacities for Industrial Policy Management, Monitoring and Evaluation.
Hon. Eriyo reiterated that the Community had made tremendous progress in its integration roadmap and that the market enlargement arising from the Common Market had created immense opportunities for doing business in the region but more importantly, opportunities for increasing production, diversification of economic base, realization of economies of scale; and finally opportunities for accelerating industrialization in each Partner States and EAC region as a whole.
The Deputy Secretary General, who represented the Secretary General, Amb. Liberat Mfumukeko at the occasion, said that in the EAC Region, the capacity and performance of the public sector that deals with industry related matters was generally low, and as a result, implementation of industry related policies and strategies had in some cases been inadequate, constrained by a number of factors, including inadequate industrial governance systems as well as weak monitoring and evaluation frameworks.
She noted that other issues that need to be addressed to foster and sustain industrial growth include inadequate capability to design, implement and monitor policies and strategies; challenges to enhance private sector participation; and inadequate systems for collecting, processing, storing and dissemination of industrial information, among others.
The EAC official commended the Government of Korea for financing the programme and UNIDO, who is the implementing partner.
Addressing the same workshop, the EAC Deputy Secretary General in charge of Planning and Infrastructure, Eng. Steven Mlote decried the huge amount of resources that the Community is losing in exporting raw materials, leading to the loss of job and investment opportunities. He reiterated the need for the region to work together in developing the manufacturing sector rather than competing against each other.
The EAC Principal Industrial Economist, Mr. George Ndira said industrialization should be a concern for the EAC Secretariat and it (Secretariat) should continue advocating for industrialization as it is the surest way to lift Partner States’ economies from the dependency syndrome and help in pulling millions of the population from abject poverty.
Mr. Ndira, who was representing the Director for Productive Sector, said the ICR is a compass to assist the region in monitoring our progress towards the goal of economic transformation and diversification. “This workshop is an opportune moment for all us to understand where we are and how much distance we are yet to cover to get to a stable state for long-term economic prosperity” noted the EAC Principal Industrial Economist.
While presenting the findings of the EAC Industrial Competitiveness Report 2017, Mr. Andrea Antonelli from UNIDO’s Research and Industrial Policy Advice Group, said the main objective of the Report was to provide a compass to policy-makers, the private sector, and generally a wider audience of stakeholders interested and/or involved in industry on the broad direction of the industrial development trajectory of the EAC.
He said the Report was also intended to provide evidence-based, shared and implementable policy recommendations for the EAC and Partner States’ policy makers; and to generate further awareness on the importance to coordinate economic development activities in the EAC around a common goal to enhance industrial/manufacturing development.
“Specifically, the study was to provide a useful diagnostic tool for the EAC Secretariat as an important input to review its Industrial Policy and Strategy; act as a monitoring tool to assess progress against EAC and national industrial development targets and present a list of agreed indicators for EAC harmonized industrial performance assessment; among others” affirmed the UNIDO official.
The report, which will be launched and availed to the public in September/October 2017, states that Manufacturing Value Added (MVA) and manufacturing trade growth rates sustained by the EAC in recent years stand above global average but only around average of Sub-Saharan Africa.
However, these growth rates fall short of some of the targets set in the EAC Industrialization Policy and stand below similar Regional Economic Communities in Sub-Saharan Africa including ECOWAS.
The same growth rates of the manufacturing sector have not kept pace with the service sector, thus insufficient to impress that acceleration needed to achieve the structural change targets set in the regional and in most national industrial policies/overarching development plans.
The report argues that an important cause and at the same time consequence of this limited performance lies in the disconnected fabric of the industrial sector in the EAC Partner States, impressing only weak backward and forward linkages among manufacturing subsectors as well as with non-manufacturing sectors of the economy. Strong interlinkages would strengthen the economy and foster a more robust industrialization process.
On the other side, the past 10-15 years have shown signs of upward convergence among Partner States both in terms of MVA and manufacturing trade values, particularly with Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda growing significantly faster than their regional role model, Kenya.
The EAC regional market proves to be one of the most dynamic markets in the world and hence provides a great opportunity for regional firms to expand.
While in most cases EAC manufacturing firms managed to increase their intra-regional exports in certain dynamic sectors, this did not happen at the pace and extent needed to match the EAC demand growth, thus resulting in the EAC losing market shares particularly against emerging economies such as India (pharmaceuticals, heavy petroleum), China (iron and steel products and fertilizers) and Malaysia (Fixed vegetable oils).
The above findings call for renewed efforts to boost the manufacturing sector in the region and in Partner States and should not discourage the latest emphasis placed by many Partner States in this important common endeavour.
The comments received during the stakeholders workshop is expected to enrich phase two of the regional program on “Strengthening Institutional Capacities for Industrial Policy Management, Monitoring and Evaluation in the EAC region”.
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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.
