East African Court of Justice; Arusha, Tanzania; 31 March 2017: The First Instance Division today as it concluded its sessions, dismissed a case filed by Mr. Steven Deniss from The United Republic of Tanzania against the Attorneys General of the Republics of Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania and the Secretary General of the East African Community.
The case which was filed on July 10th 2015 in the First Instance Division complained that the provisions of Article 30(2) of the Treaty Establishing the East African Community, about the two (2) months limitation period for filing a matter before the regional court as specified under that Article 30(2) of the Treaty, that it is not only very restrictive but also unjust and discriminatory.
The Applicant further complained that the Provision does not provide ample time for obtaining legal assistance, conducting legal research, documentation of the evidence and securing witnesses expected of a reference before the East African Court of Justice hence has denied him just like other citizens of the Partner States access to justice which is contrary to the fundamental and operational principles of the Treaty as set out in Articles 6(d) and 7(1) (a). He also alleges that the process by which Article 30 (2) of the Treaty was introduced is illegal and that the 6th Respondent had failed in its duty to advice the Partner States to rectify it and equally the 1st to 5th Respondents have failed to cure the illegality in their responsibility to ensure that the objectives of the Treaty are achieved.
In its judgment, the Court said that it has the jurisdiction to determine the legality of Article 30 (2) of the Treaty. In its determination the court stated that it would not go far to declare Article 30 (2) a violation of Articles 6(d) 7 (1) (a) and 7 (2) of the Treaty. That instead that Article simply clarifies the procedural context within which substantive provisions of Articles 6(d) and 7 (2) should be applied. Court again explained that no evidence was adduced before Court as sufficiently establishes the contradictions it poses viz-a-viz Articles 28 and 29 or irrationality of the said considerations.
That it is a matter that, the Court propose, should receive attention to the relevant organs of the EAC, because a people centred and market driven co-operation as stipulated in the provisions of the Treaty as well as rule of Law, must be of necessity include the notion of equal access to justice by all parties. To court Article 30 (2) it seems that the time limitation in the said Article is intended to facilitate the expeditious realization of the Community’s objectives as detained in Article 5 (2) of the Treaty by forestalling open ended avenues for litigation that could derail the integration process. Further, that for the same reasons, the spirit and letter of the Treaty would be well served if such an expedient approach were equally applied to the Partner States and the Secretary General.
The Court also added that, on the issue whether the Secretary General (6th Respondent) has failed in his responsibility to ensure the achievement of the objectives of the Treaty, especially under Article 71 of the Treaty on the functions of the Secretariat on its duty to conduct investigations, collect information or verify of matters that affect EAC. The Court said that, the generalized invocation of Article 71 of the Treaty and imputation of failure by the Secretary General in his mandate is a misguided approach to litigation.
In conclusion, the Court said that regarding the alternative prayers for orders to affect an amendment to Article 30(2) of the Treaty for the 2- months limitation period be increased to 6-months, or to clothe this Court with the discretion to enlarge the said limitation period, on this issues the Court held that it has no jurisdiction to make orders, the effect of which would be to amend the Treaty. The Court therefore dismissed the Reference and ordered each party to bear its own costs.
The Court today ended its sessions which resumed in February and will sit again in May-June 2017.
The Judges delivered the judgement were Honorable Lady Justice Monica Mugenyi (Principal Judge), Justice Isaac Lenaola (Deputy Principal Judge), Justice Dr. Faustin Ntezilyayo all of the First Instance Division.
- ENDS -
Notes to Editor:
The Reference rose from the allegations that the Applicant was shot, his property lost and he was then forcefully expelled to Rwanda from the Kagera Region of Tanzania by the agents of the Government of Tanzania but was unable to challenge those actions because of the limitation imposed on him by Article 30(2) of the Treaty.
Article 30 (2) provides that: The proceedings provided for in this Article shall be instituted within two months of the enactment, publication, directive, decision or action complained of, or in the absence thereof, of the day in which it came to the knowledge of the complainant, as the case may be;
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; Bujumbura, Burundi; 29 March 2017: Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza has urged researchers from the six East African Community Partner States to set aside the tendency to compete amongst themselves and instead embrace a culture of cooperation in their work.
President Nkurunziza said closer cooperation among researchers and scientists in the region would result in synergy and greater benefits to East Africans. President said this cooperation was all the more relevant at a time when the world is getting smaller with increasingly cross-cutting concerns.
“The increasing complexity of health issues requires partnerships and collaboration of specialities and skills,” said President Nkurunziza.
The Burundian leader called on governments and other stakeholders in the region to commit themselves to ensuring that people, their livelihoods, well-being and in particular their health are the focus of climate change.
“I invite the health and environmental sectors within the Member States of the East African Community to exchange their experiences, technical expertise and best practices to improve health and protect the environment,” said Nkurunziza.
"I also strongly appeal to economic operators in general, and manufacturers in particular to become more aware of health issues, especially in as much as their actions often have a negative impact on animal and environmental health,” he added.
The Head of State said that today climate change increases food insecurity, worsens malnutrition and accentuates the spread of vector-borne diseases such as malaria in East Africa.
“The health situation in our Community therefore calls for a medium- and long-term programme to combat the vectors of these diseases and to educate the public about the change of behaviour in order to have a sound health and an increased awareness for the protection of the environment,” said the President.
President Nkurunziza was speaking at the Ecole Polytechnique Professionnelle de Bujumbura when he officially opened the 6th EAC Health and Scientific Conference and International Health Exhibition and Trade Fair. The three-day conference has drawn more than 500 delegates mainly comprising health sector researchers, practitioners and academics, and development partners.
President Nkurunziza said that the free movement of people and goods as enshrined in the EAC Common Market Protocol comes at a cost, adding that such challenges could only be overcome through research.
In these times when borders are opening up, implying not only a greater circulation of goods, people and ideas, science is an indispensable competitive advantage, while research for development brings about solidarity and innovation,” he said.
The President said that in recent decades, new diseases had not only emerged but diseases that were considered to be under control had also re-emerged in a much a more serious form.
“The exponential mobility of people helped by transport development, creates conditions conducive to the spread of these pathologies and their geographical spread is now progressing at a more sustained pace than in the past. These diseases originate from various causes: zoonotic, food, chemical or radio-nuclear materials,” added Nkurunziza.
Speaking at the function, Hon. Ummy Mwalimu, the Chairperson of the EAC Sectoral Council on Health who is also Tanzania’s Minister for Health directed the East African Health Research Commission to relocate from Arusha, Tanzania to Bujumbura where it is supposed to be based immediatly.
Hon. Mwalimu said the Council would not entertain any more excuses from the Commission on why it would not relocate to Bujumbura.
Hon. Mwalimu was responding to concerns raised by Burundi’s Health Minister, Hon. Dr. Josiane Nijimbere, who urged the EAC to fast-track the relocation of the EAHRC to Bujumbura.
In his remarks, EAC Secretary General Amb. Liberat Mfumukeko noted that the EAC Partner States which together have a combined population of approximately 168 million people face similar challenges in terms of increased human movement, a high disease burden, inadequate health services, work force, and a limited evidence to guide health policy.
Amb. Mfumukeko said that evidence from research indicates that global climate change has an impact on the emergence and spread of infectious diseases, and that the association between the emergence of infectious disease outbreaks and global climate change had been proven.
- ENDS -
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 Legislative Assembly; Juba, South Sudan; 24 March 2017: President of the Republic of South Sudan, His Excellency General Salva Kiir Mayardit late last week held cordial discussions with the EALA Speaker, Rt Hon. Daniel F. Kidega in State House, Juba.
The President was emphatic that Republic of South Sudan would benefit a great deal from the integration process and said his country was happy to be part of the regional economic bloc.
“The geographical location of South Sudan itself even without much description makes it a natural and perfect choice to belong to the bloc” President Kiir said.
The President hailed EALA for its contribution to the integration process through the legislative agenda, affirming that Republic of South Sudan had already completed the elections of its Members to the 4th Assembly and was rearing to go. He urged the Speaker and the Assembly to go flat out in creating awareness about the integration process in the Republic of South Sudan.
"Your coming here today is a blessing as it will also educate our Parliamentarians”, President Kiir said while calling for capacity building of the legislators and the citizens of the country to embrace the opportunities on offer in the bloc.
The President remarked that Republic of South Sudan was pursuing stability and said Government was committed to the peace initiative and keen to address the myriad of challenges occasioned by the war.
On his part, EALA Speaker, Rt Hon. Daniel F. Kidega hailed South Sudan’s admission in to the EAC as timely, given the linguistic and cultural connections the young nation shares with the bloc and said its full and total integration was of absolute importance. He informed President Kiir of the Assembly’s total support towards initiatives aimed at uniting the country and lauded the Peace Agreement to this effect. He remarked that Africa’s challenges would ideally be solved by the African people themselves.
The Speaker remarked that the region needed to be more vigilant in the fight against terrorism.
He informed the President that EALA regularly meets in the Partner States and had employed the principle of rotation when holding its Sittings.
“We shall at an appropriate time sit here in Juba and will be requesting you to address the Assembly then, Your Excellency,” the Speaker said, receiving an affirmative nod from President Salva Kiir.
Later in the afternoon, the Speaker called on the 1st Vice President of the Republic of South Sudan, H.E. Taban Deng Gai at his Office. The First Vice President maintained that Government of South Sudan prioritised restoration of normalcy in the country and termed reforms as one of the mainstays of the process. He said President Salva Kiir and the Government had institutionalised national dialogue and asked the EAC to follow up on the matter keenly.
H.E. Taban Deng also rallied the EAC Partner States to support the Republic of South Sudan to help the nascent nation towards improving its economy, which he said, had suffered as a result of the war. He remarked that the EAC was a natural choice for South Sudan and said the country was gearing up to take advantage of the opportunities.
The Vice President was emphatic that the envisaged deployment of the Regional Protection Force with forces from the region would play a key role in the disarmament process and add more value in stabilizing the nation, which is preparing for polls in the next 20 months.
“There needs to be peace in the country in order to enable the citizens to go about developing the country in a more free and conducive environment”, H.E. Taban Deng said.
Meanwhile, the EALA Speaker and his counterpart at the Transitional National Assembly of South Sudan, Rt Hon. Anthony Lino Makana held fruitful discussions at the Parliament of South Sudan.
Rt Hon. Kidega welcomed the Republic of South Sudan to the regional Assembly in particular, saying the 4th Assembly would continue to be a major player in the integration process.
“The 4th Assembly of which South Sudan will participate in, needs to consolidate on the gains and strengthen the integration process even further. Key legislation that anchor the Common Market Protocol and the Monetary Union will be useful. Another key area may be the one of ensuring the Assembly gains full autonomy over time”, Speaker Kidega said.
Rt Hon. Kidega spoke of some of the achievements of the 3rd Assembly and cited some of the significant milestones to include passage of 28 Bills, adoption of over 65 Resolutions and 80 reports, processing of 5 petitions and the revision of the Rules of Procedure to strengthen the instruments of governance.
On his part, the Speaker of the Transitional Assembly of South Sudan, Rt Hon. Anthony Lino Makana remarked that the country was expected to benefit a great deal from the integration process.
In attendance were First Deputy Speaker of the Transitional National Assembly, Rt Hon. Timothy T. Chol and the Deputy Speaker (in charge of Administration and Finance) Hon. Dr Awel Mawien.
The EALA Speaker also held discussions with the Speaker of the Council of States, Rt Hon. Joseph Bol Chan and the Adviser to the President on Integration and Economic Affairs, Hon. Aggrey Tisa Sabuni.
Two weeks ago, the Secretary General of the Community Amb. Liberat Mfumukeko led a delegation of EAC Executives and senior officials in meeting with a high-power delegation of the RSS. The Secretary General remarked that EAC would engage in a capacity building programme for Ministries, Departments and Agencies in the Republic of South Sudan would focus on all aspects around the EAC integration.
Republic of South Sudan was admitted in to the EAC last year in April 2016 after H.E. President Salva Kiir Mayardit signed the accession Treaty in Dar es Salaam. H.E. Dr John Pombe Joseph Magufuli, Chair of the EAC Heads of State Summit, hosted the President of South Sudan at the ceremony in State House Dar es Salaam. The Republic of South Sudan thereafter deposited the instruments of ratification of the Treaty for accession with the EAC Secretary General. A month earlier (March 2016), at the 17th Ordinary Summit taking place in Arusha, the EAC Heads of State Summit approved the admission of the new country.
Being admitted to the regional body means that Republic of South Sudan will enjoy all the economic benefits on offer through the Customs Union Protocol and Common Market Protocol. Sudan will also benefit from the region as it moves to increase economic integration through a Monetary Union and eventually, establish a Political Federation.
- ENDS -
For more information, please contact:
Mr Bobi Odiko Senior Public Relations Officer East African Legislative Assembly Arusha, Tanzania Tel: +255-27-2508240 Fax: +255-27-2503103 Cell: +255-787-870945, +254-733-718036 Email: BOdiko [at] eachq.org Web: www.eala.org
About the East African Legislative Assembly:
The East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) is the Legislative Organ of the Community and has a cardinal function to further EAC objectives, through its Legislative, Representative and Oversight mandate. It was established under Article 9 of the Treaty for the Establishment of the East African Community.
East African Community Secretariat; Arusha, Tanzania; 24 March 2017: The 35th meeting of the East African Community Council of Ministers is set to take place from 30th March to 4th April 2017 at the EAC Headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.
The Session of Senior Officials is from Thursday 30th to Friday 31st March. The Coordination Committee Session (Permanent /Principal Secretaries) is on 1st and 2nd April and the Ministerial Session is on 3rd to 4th April, 2017.
The meeting is considering the following matters: Report on the implementation of Previous Decisions of the Council; Report of the Office of the Secretary General; Report on Planning and Infrastructure; and Report on Productive and Social Sectors.
Other Reports to be considered are: Report on Political Matters; Customs and Trade; Report on the Finance and Administration Matters; and Reports of other EAC Organs i.e. East African Legislative Assembly and East African Court of Justice.
Reports of EAC Institutions are also on the agenda namely; East African Civil Aviation Safety, Security and Oversight Agency, (CASSOA); Lake Victoria Fisheries Organization (LVFO); Inter-University Council for East Africa (IUCEA); East African Development Bank; Lake Victoria Basin Commission; East African Science and Technology Commission; East African Kiswahili Commission; and East African Health Research Commissio
The Council of Ministers is the Policy Organ of the Community. It consists of the Ministers responsible for East African Community/regional cooperation of each Partner State and such other Ministers of the Partner State as each Partner State shall determine. Among its functions, the Council promotes, monitors and keeps under constant review the implementation of the programmes of the Community and ensures the proper functioning of the regional organization.
- ENDS -
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 March 2017: The World Bank has hailed the East African Community for the steady progress it has made towards the creation of the Common Market.
Mr. Ahmadou Moustapha Ndiaye, the World Bank’s Coordinating Director on EAC integration noted in particular the operationalization of the Single Customs Territory by the EAC Partner States, adding that the region had experienced increased intra-regional trade.
Mr. Ndiaye further praised the EAC Secretariat for the efforts it is undertaking to monitor the implementation of the Common Market Protocol with the aim of lifting all the remaining barriers to free movement of people, labour, goods, services and capital.
Mr. Ndiaye said that there had been excellent collaboration between the EAC and the World Bank, noting that the Community had been very active in recent years in engaging the bank and developing a programme of collaboration to support the implementation of its ambitious regional integration agenda.
“The EAC leadership reached out to the Partner States and convinced Ministers of Finance to approach the Bank and request its technical and financial support to the implementation of programmes sponsored by the EAC Secretariat and other EAC regional institutions such as the Lake Victoria Basin Commission and Nile Equatorial Lakes Subsidiary Action Programme, among others,” said the Bank official.
He said that this active engagement with the World Bank led to the development of a strong active support programme worth US$2.97 billion which represents 33% of total International Development Association (IDA) regional lending in Sub-Saharan Africa as of today.
He observed that among the portfolio of projects funded by IDA were those that support EAC institutional and capacity development, adding that the implementation was progressing well.
“These include financial sector integration, capacity development in financial management of the Secretariat and EAC institutions, statistical capacity development for the Regional Bureau of Statistics and medicine regulatory harmonization,” said the Bank official.
He, however, disclosed that only 19% of the agreed amount had been disbursed as of now.
“The EAC Secretariat and member states need to take strong actions to accelerate the pace of implementation and deliver concrete results to the people of the region, in particular by speeding up the implementation of infrastructure projects,” said Mr. Ndiaye.
Mr. Ndiaye was speaking during a meeting with EAC Secretary General Amb. Liberat Mfumukeko at the EAC Headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania. The meeting was called to discuss the way forward on EAC Financial Sector Development and Regionalization Project (FSDRP).
The Secretariat, on its part, led by Amb. Liberat Mfumukeko urged the Bank to support various priority areas including: the harmonisation of commercial laws across the EAC region; creation of an e-business register; issues of connectivity especially interlinking of banks; harmonisation of public financial management to similar standards across all the Partner States, and; harmonisation of statistics in the region to promote banking inter-operability.
The Secretariat was of the view that an e-business registry would help integrate trade across East Africa in addition to being critical for the success of the East African Monetary Union. The Monetary Union will only be achieved if there is full financial integration.
The e-business register would also facilitate the establishment of a fully single market for trade within East Africa.
On issues of connectivity, the Secretariat noted that it had in place plans to increase investment in roads, dry ports and inter-modal transport on Lakes Tanganyika and Victoria with additional focus on the navigability of waterways.
The EAC Secretariat asked the Bank to support the harmonisation of statistics in the region by providing Partner States’ statistical bureaus with money and equipment.
- ENDS -
Notes to Editor:
Since its inception in June 2011 with a US$16 million IDA grant by the World Bank and other development partners, FSDRP has registered remarkable progress in six (6) major components, namely:
Financial inclusion and strengthening market participants;
Harmonization of financial laws and regulations against common standards;
Mutual recognition of supervisory agencies;
Integration of financial market infrastructures;
Development of regional bond market, and;
Capacity building
In response to the successes of the project, the EAC Secretariat successfully negotiated addition funding to the tune of US$10.5 million to be implemented over a three-year period from 2016 to 2019. The Secretariat and the Bank signed the agreement for additional funding in December 2016.
The activities supported by this additional financing will be consistent with the project development objective of FSDRP I which was to establish the foundation for financial sector integration among EAC Partner States. The additional funding will also scale up the scope of existing activities in order to deepen the development effectiveness of the project and build on the momentum attained by focusing on the policy areas that have seen the most progress so far.
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 March 2017: A delegation from the Kenya National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC), led by Commissioner Hon. Morris Dzoro, was at the EAC Headquarters today on study tour, as part of the Commission’s visit to various Institutions of Governance in Arusha and Dar es Salaam, in the United Republic of Tanzania.
Welcoming the Commissioners to the EAC Headquarters, the Deputy Secretary General in charge of Political Federation, Mr. Charles Njoroge noted that the mandate of the NCIC was to encourage national cohesion and integration by outlawing all kinds of discrimination on ethnic grounds; to fight hate speech and to provide for the establishment, powers and functions of the National Cohesion and Integration Commission, and for connected purposes.
“Indeed your mandate and functions complement the Treaty for the Establishment of the EAC and the protocols, strategy and mechanisms deriving from the Treaty” asserted Mr. Njoroge, adding that “EAC puts at the heart of integration efforts for the harmony and peaceful co-existence of the people of EAC Region
The Deputy Secretary General informed his guests that the Treaty and EAC Founding Fathers recognize peace and security as a pre-requisite for socio-economic development and achievement of EAC integration objectives.
He commended the delegation for the good work they were doing for the Kenyan people in promoting national cohesion, integration and peace, particularly during electoral period. “Without national unity, development and prosperity of Kenyan and any other EAC Partner State are illusive”.
On his part, the leader of the delegation, Hon. Morris Dzoro, commended the Deputy Secretary General in charge of Political Federation, Mr. Charles Njoroge for spearheading several initiatives in the Political Affairs of the Community. He also commended the EAC Secretariat for steering the regional integration process in the right direction and said their visit will enhance implementation of their mandate.
The delegation was given a detailed brief on the functions of the East African Court of Justice (EACJ), and on the EAC Early Warning Mechanism (EACWARN) and the EAC Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution Mechanism (CPMR Mechanism).
While in Arusha, the delegation lmet and held discussions with officials from the East African Business Council (EABC), the East African Law Society (EALS), and the East African Civil Society Forum (EASCOF).
- ENDS -
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; 23 March 2017: The East African Community is developing a Regional Training Curriculum to support the operationalization of One Stop Border Posts (OSBPs) within the bloc. The training curriculum is a major capacity building tool for OSBPs in the region.
In a 20th - 24th March meeting, with the support of GIZ - African Union Border Program (AUBP), currently underway in Kigali, Rwanda, Partner States’ experts from the Revenue and Immigration Authorities are developing the tool, which aims at training the OSBP officers on the rules and ways to operate in their different positions at their different posts in cooperation and coordination with their different counterparts.
The Regional Training Curriculum looks at how best to allow the different agencies to play their role and work together so as to enhance and accelerate the smooth operationalization of the OSBPs. The curriculum will be based on the existing instruments adopted by the EAC including the OSBP Act, Sourcebook and Manual. It will also take into account the already existing instruments of sensitization and capacity building availed by the other Development Partners of the EAC such as the IOM, JICA and TMEA.
According to the Ag. Director General of the EAC Directorate of Customs and Trade, Mr. Kenneth Bagamuhunda, the development of the curriculum commenced in December 2016 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and the Kigali meeting is a continuation of the process, which comes at a time when the Community had successfully developed the OSBP Regulations and OSBP Manual.
“In order to have hands on experience on what happens in an OSBP, prior to the meeting, the delegates’ visited two functioning OSBPs, at Cyanika and Kagitumba/Mirama Hills. The output of the visits to the border posts greatly enhanced the curriculum development process”, noted the Ag. Director General, adding that the Partner States Experts who played a central role in the development of the OSBP Manual were also assisting in the development of the Training Curriculum.
- ENDS -
Notes to Editor:
The operationalisation of OSBPs in the region is not without challenges. Some of the challenges relate to inadequate infrastructure at many of these border posts including housing for staff, amenities such as schools and hospitals, holding grounds for quarantined animals, insufficient water resources and in some cases unreliable power supply and not the least human capacity and skills shortfalls in a number of critical areas.
In order to realize the goal of African integration, there is need to ensure smooth management of borders allowing swift and hustle-free movement of goods, persons, workers and services. This initiative will need to be bolstered by strengthening security measures that halt cross border criminal activities. Moving towards these goals the African Union, through its Border Program (African Union Border Program (AUBP) has encouraged/urged its member states to embrace a smoother management of border crossing points through installation and implementation of One Stop Border Posts (OSBPs).
There are 77 borders in Africa that have been earmarked for OSBP construction with 15 of them being in East Africa Community (EAC). The OSBPs are therefore becoming more popular at the regional level. They are seen as a modern approach towards facilitating movement of goods, persons and services across national borders. The OSBP concept promotes simplification of controls at borders through a one-time check at the border between two countries. In practice, OSBP is achieved by placing the border officials of two adjoining countries at each other’s adjoining border post so that border control checks will be jointly conducted by relevant officers from the two neighbouring countries at once on the side of the entry country. Once such a check has taken place on one side of the border, no other check will follow. Operating OSBPs requires a tight coordinated cooperation between the agencies present at borders including immigration, police, customs, health etc.
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; 22 March 2017: The East African Community (EAC) and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) have today agreed to collaborate in the promotion of the rights of refugees, including the protection of forcibly displaced people and regulatory regimes affecting the movement of persons, immigration and refugee management.
The agreement came during the bilateral discussion between the EAC Secretary General, Amb. Liberat Mfumukeko and UNHCR representative and Head of Regional Service Centre (RSC), East, Horn of Africa and Great lakes Region, Ms Victoria Akyeampong, when she paid a courtesy call on the Secretary General this morning in Arusha, Tanzania.
Speaking during the discussions, the EAC Secretary General noted that despite forced displacement plaguing the Community for a long time, durable solutions were being found for hundreds of thousands of refugees.
‘’I am happy today that we have agreed to work together. Our region has for a long time suffered a lot in the context of refugees and that explains why in the EAC we look at the refugee issue as one of the critical areas of regional integration’’, noted Secretary General.
Amb. Mfumukeko commended the good work done by UNHCR in protection of rights of refugees such as access to asylum, health, education, employment, repatriation and housing. ‘’I believe we have a lot to work together towards securing our society in promoting the rights of refugees.’’
On her part, Ms Victoria Akyeampong, said that the refugees situation in the East, Horn of Africa and Great Lakes region is too alarming. “Thus why we look forward to work together with EAC in the context of refugees and develop a common mechanism of refugee management that will be based on international standards”.
The two officials agreed to form a task force to work on areas of collaborations to ensure the regional common mechanism of management of refugees is developed and implemented. The taskforce will also be expected to review the status of implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the EAC Secretariat and UNHCR with a view to identifying implementation challenges and chart out the way forward.
- ENDS -
Notes to Editor:
The MoU between the UNHCR and EAC was signed on 9th March, 2010. The MoU establishes a framework for cooperation between the EAC and UNHCR in five areas of common concern and cooperation, including Conflict Prevention and Peace-building; Early Warning and Response; Movement of Persons, Immigration and Movements and the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights in East Africa
The Treaty for the Establishment of the EAC requires Partner States to establish common mechanisms for the management of refugees. The Protocol on the Establishment of the EAC Common Market, also guarantees the free movement of persons in the Community and calls the Partner States to ensure that the movement of refugees within the Community are governed by the relevant international conventions.
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 Kiswahili Commission; Zanzibar, Tanzania; 20 March 2017: From the 15th-17th March 2017, the East African Kiswahili Commission (EAKC) convened a three-day strategy implementation forum at the Imperial Botanical Beach Hotel, in Entebbe, Uganda.
The meeting brought together stakeholders from EAC Partner States, Kiswahili Associations and the Media to build a common understanding and shared ownership and to facilitate a consensus on the implementation approach to the Commission’s Strategic Plan (2017-2022).
The forum articulated a sequence of investments and activities needed to achieve the mandate of coordinating and promoting the development and use of Kiswahili in regional integration and sustainable development of the East African Community.
Explaining the framework and soliciting their reaction and opinion, the Executive Secretary of the Commission Prof. Kenneth Simala informed participants that road-mapping is considered good planning for successful implementation of the Commission’s strategy.
The forum was, therefore, seen as the beginning of what will be an interactive, collaborative and participatory process between the stakeholders and the management in the implementation of the Strategic Plan for the next five years.
Prof. Simala said that the stakeholders and development partners will have to consider many variables that include a majority agreeing on specific approach to be used in order to realize the intended objectives.
He further challenged the stakeholders to be ready and willing to invest financial and human resources in the implementation of the plan. He thanked Kiswahili stakeholders, more so the EAC Partner States, for taking various practical initiatives to ensure that Kiswahili is developed and used in the service of the Community.
The Commission presented for discussion three priority areas in the roadmap to the implementation plan: Institutional Capacity Assessment of the development and use of Kiswahili in the EAC; EAKC Mobility Policy and Programme; and the production and dissemination of Kiswahili knowledge in the EAC and beyond.
The meeting was informed that the need for the assessment of the development and use of Kiswahili in various institutions in the Community can never be more urgent. The assessment is a prerequisite for understanding capacity development needs imperative in the implementation of the Commission Plan.
Participants discussed and approved a draft Capacity Assessment Manual and Guide developed by the Commission and which will be used in the planned exercise that will culminate in a capacity assessment report showing the status of Kiswahili development and use in various institutions across EAC Partner States.
The stakeholders acknowledged that whereas there has been a phenomenal growth and complexity of the number of institutions involved in the development and use of Kiswahili in the EAC and beyond, there are enormous challenges confronting them and which impact on their roles and effectiveness. There is need, therefore, for Kiswahili stakeholders in the Community to work together amongst themselves and with others elsewhere in the world in order to strengthen joint action to address these and other emerging issues.
The meeting was informed that the Commission had identified mobility as a major pillar of its strategy for dealing with these challenges. Mobility is considered an important element of the mission of the Commission of promoting and coordinating the development and use of Kiswahili for regional integration and sustainable development in the Community. It is for this reason that the Commission is investing in a Mobility Policy and Programme as a framework of strategic partnerships and strong and broad cooperation and as a tool to provide opportunities for Kiswahili stakeholders to interact. The forum approved both the policy and programme developed by the Commission.
The Commission reaffirmed its commitment to provide high quality research driven policy advice to Kiswahili stakeholders, especially Partner States governments. While aiming to be a truly international institution that is firmly rooted in the Community and working closely with Partner States governments, business, society and the public, the Commission intends to play an active role in the integration process and sustainable development agenda as an innovative knowledge institution. Hence, knowledge production and dissemination is crucial to the implementation roadmap.
It is within this context that this year’s first EAKC Conference in Zanzibar, on 6th-8th September marks what promises to be a feature of the Commission’s outreach programme. Themed ‘The Role of Kiswahili in the Transformation of the East African Community’, the Conference has attracted participants from various sectors of society who will critically examine Kiswahili as a resource and tool necessary for the attainment of Sustainable Development Goals. The deadline for receiving abstracts was extended to 31st March, 2017 so as to allow more stakeholders to participate.
The East African Kiswahili Commission (EACK) is an institution of the East African Community based in Zanzibar, The United Republic of Tanzania. The Commission started its operations in May, 2015 and has developed the Annual Operations Plan for 2016-2017. The Commission’s vision is to be the leading body in the promotion and coordination of the development and usage of Kiswahili for regional integration and sustainable development.
East African Legislative Assembly; Kigali, Rwanda; 17 March 2017: The activities of the EAC are perpetually grinding to a halt – unless immediate remedial measures are taken to remit the amount of US$ 24,016,930 owed to the EAC by the Partner States.
Deeply concerned by this poor financial state of affairs, EALA has passed a resolution urging the Council of Ministers to immediately convene under matters of urgency to resolve the financial crisis in EAC by ensuring immediate and full disbursement of funds to the EAC.
The Assembly further wants Council of Ministers to invoke provisions of the Treaty (Article 14 and Article 143) to reprimand the Partner States that are defaulting in taking care of their obligations. In the same vein, EALA has moved to establish a Select Committee to investigate the matter of financial paralysis and to report back to the House.
The Motion moved by Hon. Nancy Abisai and under Rule 30 of the Rules of Procedure also want the Council of Ministers to be proactive by ensuring the matter is on the agenda of the next EAC Summit meeting as a priority and matter of urgency and public importance.
The Motion avers that out of a total sum of US$ 41, 890,538 approved as the budget of the EAC Organs and Institutions funded by equal contributions from Partner States to cater for the Secretariat, East African Legislative Assembly (EALA), East African Court of Justice (EACJ), Lake Victoria Basin Commission (LVBC), the Kiswahili Commission, the Health Research Commission and the Competition Authority. The amount so far remitted at the Secretariat stands at US$ 18,644,645 which amounts to 44%, three months to the end of the financial year.
The Council of Ministers has previously resolved that all Partner States should be fully paid up by 30th December of every financial Year to enable the Community to function and operate smoothly. Each Partner State is required to pay USD 8,378,108. However, currently,
Republic of Kenya has contributed US$ 4,395,707 (52.47%) leaving an outstanding of US$ 3,982,400 (47.53%)
United Republic of Tanzania has contributed US$ 2,553,203 (30.47%) leaving an outstanding of US$ 5,824,905 (69.53%)
Republic of Uganda has contributed US$ 7,668,419 (91.53%) leaving an outstanding of US$ 709,689 (9.47%)
Republic of Rwanda has contributed US$ 4,027,316 (48.07%) leaving an outstanding of US$ 4,350,791 (51.93%)
Republic of Burundi has not contributed any amount to this financial year’s budget (0.00%) leaving an outstanding of US$ 8,378,108 (100%) excluding arrears for the previous year amounting to US$ 771,037.
The figures exclude contributions earmarked for the Lake Victoria Fisheries Organisation (LVFO), the Inter-University Council of East Africa (IUCEA) and the Civil Aviation, Security and Safety Organisation Agency (CASSOA) which is a self-accounting institution of the EAC.
The Assembly is further concerned that non-remittance of the funds is recurring and the move has completely disrupted the functions of the Assembly. The results of which include, non-payment of allowances and personnel emoluments, delays in settlement of supplier invoices.
Hon. Dora Byamukama said the Community needs to take the matter of remittances seriously and proposed that it may be time for the different Organs and institutions to bid for their contributions directly as opposed to the current form where all monies are disbursed to the Secretariat first, before the Instituions and Organs receive the attendant portion.
“We are currently electing EALA Members as we speak – but if the matter persists, how will the activities of the Assembly work? Hon. Dora pondered. She said a good number of staff may be insecure and anxious affecting their overall productivity thus that of the EAC as a whole. Compounding the matter further is that of image said the legislator. “The Banks may not be sure we will honour the obligations. This is a very serious issue,” she added.
Hon. Patricia Hajabakiga called for total goodwill on part of the Partner States in order to spur integration. She said the African Union which has a bigger membership had managed to finalise discussions on the matter of sustainability – while the EAC bloc which has a relatively manageable membership is yet to realise the objective.
Also rising in support of the Motion were Hon. Bernard Mulengani who said salaries and emoluments of all staff and Members of the Assembly were affected. The Suppliers are also affected, he said.
Hon. Yves Nsabimana said an analysis of the budget performance was pegged at 45% which he termed as worrying and that the image of the Community was bad calling for immediate remittances to the EAC.
Hon. Mike Sebalu noted with appreciation the contribution of Uganda saying it was inspiring even to the other Partner States. “I encourage everyone wherever they are to meet their obligations”, he said. He called on the EAC to look at alternative funding mechanism. Let us look at the ECOWAS model for example”, he said.
Hon. Dr James Ndahiro rooted for the alternative funding mechanism saying it was reliable, timely and predictable. “This is not the Community I knew five years ago. Something has gone wrong somewhere…there is loss of appetite to move integration forward”, he said.
Hon. AbuBakr Ogle called for establishment of a Select Committee of the House to look into the predicament of inadequate funds and to report back to the House.
Hon. Taslima Twaha remarked that it was a sad and dark day in the history of the Community.
Others who supported the resolution were Hon. Valerie Nyirahabineza, Hon. Sarah Bonaya, Hon. Odette Nyiramilimo, Hon. Shyrose Bhanji, Hon. Mukasa Mbidde and Hon. Susan Nakawuki.
Council of Ministers Dr Susan Kolimba reiterated Council of Ministers commitment to address the precarious funding issue.
Meanwhile, the Assembly adjourned after the successful completion of its 5th Meeting of the 5th Session yesterday.
- ENDS -
For more information, please contact:
Mr Bobi Odiko Senior Public Relations Officer East African Legislative Assembly Arusha, Tanzania Tel: +255-27-2508240 Fax: +255-27-2503103 Cell: +255-787-870945, +254-733-718036 Email: BOdiko [at] eachq.org Web: www.eala.org
About the East African Legislative Assembly:
The East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) is the Legislative Organ of the Community and has a cardinal function to further EAC objectives, through its Legislative, Representative and Oversight mandate. It was established under Article 9 of the Treaty for the Establishment of the East African Community.
