East African Community, Arusha, Tanzania, 18th December, 2021: EAC Heads of State are set to convene for the 18th Extra-Ordinary Summit of the EAC Heads of State, set to take place virtually, on Wednesday, 22nd December, 2021.
The Summit will be preceded by the 45th Extra-Ordinary Meeting of the EAC Council of Ministers, set to take place on Monday, 20th December 2021.
The Summit is expected to consider two items; the report of the Council of Ministers on the admission of the Democratic Republic of Congo into the EAC and the amendment of the Quorum Rule of the Summit of EAC Heads of State.
The Extra-Ordinary Summit will be streamed live on the EAC website - www.eac.int alongside other EAC social media platforms.
For more information, please contact:
Simon Peter Owaka Senior Public Relations Officer Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Department EAC Secretariat Arusha, Tanzania Tel: +255 768 552087 Email: sowaka [at] eachq.org
About the East African Community Secretariat:
The East African Community (EAC) is a regional intergovernmental organisation of six Partner States, comprising Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda, with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 18th December, 2021: The East African Chief Justices Forum (EACJF) has called for increased funding for national judiciaries and the East African Court of Justice (EACJ).
EACJF, which brings together Partner States’ Chief Justices and the Judge President of the East African Court of Justice, said that budgetary allocation to the judiciaries in the region should be substantially enhanced to allow the judiciary to exercise its mandate in a timely and efficient manner.
The Chief Justices said that the judiciary budget should be ring-fenced as a fixed percentage of the national budget, 2.5% of the annual budget.
The 6th EACJC, which was chaired by Kenya’s Chief Justice Martha Koome, further agreed to establish a modern, functional, stable, and sustainable ICT ecosystem for the Judiciaries in all Partner States.
The Chief Justices affirmed that it was essential that courts deepen and expand the use of technology in their operations through investment in infrastructure; recruitment of enough personnel; continuous training of judges, judicial officers and staff; continuous public education; and increased budget allocation to judicial digitization.
It was agreed that the Chief Justices of each country and President of the EACJ shall personally take charge in leading the automation processes within their jurisdictions.
The resolutions are contained in the resolutions of the Joint Symposium of the Forum of EAC Chief Justices and the East African Judicial Education Committee that was held in Mombasa, Kenya from 15th to 16th December, 2021 and that were adopted by the Forum on Friday, 17th December, 2021.
The Chief Justices urged the EAC Secretariat to formalize the institutional standing of the Forum of EAC Chief Justices, which should advise on the implementation of policies and programmes that foster adherence to the rule of law, good governance and share concerns with the Council and the Summit when needed.
The Forum agreed that Chief Justices initiate the Chief Justice-Private Sector Roundtables in their respective Partner States and at the regional level to function as avenues for dialogue that can facilitate an enabling business environment and increase efficiency in resolving commercial disputes.
On regional cooperation in the enforcement of law and order, it was agreed that the respective judiciaries establish modalities to enhance closer regional collaboration in combating of trans-boundary crimes.
On alternative dispute resolution mechanisms, the Chief Justices agreed to support the establishment, financing, and operationalization of the Small Claims Courts, Plea Bargaining, and Arbitration and Mediation as suitable mechanisms for delivering quicker and affordable ways of delivering justice to vulnerable people.
It was agreed that respective Judiciaries strengthen performance evaluation as a way of enhancing individual and institutional accountability.
On the harmonisation of judicial systems in the region, the EACJC agreed to pursue the harmonisation of legal training, certification and promoting standardisation of judgments in the judiciaries of the Partner States.
Speaking at the Forum, EAC Secretary General Hon. (Dr.) Peter Mathuki described the EAC Chief Justices' Forum as a big step in strengthening judicial systems in EAC.
“The EACJF-EACJEC Joint Symposium's Resolutions were pertinent on how to improve judicial systems capacity to deliver justice to East Africans,” said Dr. Mathuki, adding that efficient delivery of justice was in line with the views of the Summit of EAC Heads of State in taking the Community to the people at the grassroots.
Dr. Mathuki emphasized the need to embrace a cooperative and collaborative approach in terms of how the EAC and National Judiciaries conduct business.
Dr. Mathuki hailed national judiciaries and the EACJ for adopting e-services that have ensured continued delivery of justice to East Africans during the Covid-19 pandemic.
He commended the Judiciary of Kenya for its efforts to establish courts near border posts to resolve cross-border trade disputes and encouraged the other judiciaries to establish the same, adding that such courts would help resolve cross-border disputes and make the integration process seamless.
For more information, please contact:
Simon Peter Owaka Senior Public Relations Officer Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Department EAC Secretariat Arusha, Tanzania Tel: +255 768 552087 Email: sowaka [at] eachq.org
About the East African Community Secretariat:
The East African Community (EAC) is a regional intergovernmental organisation of six Partner States, comprising Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda, with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.
The Inter-University Council for East Africa (IUCEA) and Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM) today signed a Memorandum of Understanding to collaborate on the advancement of quality postgraduate studies and research.
IUCEA and RUFORUM have collaborated on various higher education matters in the past, however, today’s MoU is a formalisation of the collaboration between the two institutions for the period of five years from 2021 to 2026. One flagship initiative under this collaboration will be the implementation of the Eastern and Southern Africa Higher Education Centers of Excellence Additional Financing (ACEII-AF) project. ACEII-AF will strengthen agricultural higher education in project participating countries.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 17th December 2021: The East African Community (EAC) Secretariat is making progress in a project aimed at strengthening the capacity of EAC Partner States to prevent and control the spread of infectious diseases using hygiene measures, risk communication and community sensitization. The project targets “hotspots” in the region that have a high risk for infection transmission due to crowded living conditions and a lack of clean water as causes of poor hygiene. The Secretariat is collaborating with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in the implementation of the water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) project.
Deputy Secretary General of Productive and Social Sectors, Hon. Christophe Bazivamo, recognised the progress made in establishing the handwashing facilities which cater also for children and people with disabilities: “Some of the handwashing facilities have already been completed awaiting handover to authorities and others are at various stages of construction. In addition, more than 1 million people will be reached with health and hygiene promotion initiatives, thanks to a financial support of 1.5 Million EUR from the German government.
… as pivotal meeting paves way for action plan to protect transboundary ecosystems and economies that impact millions in East Africa
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 17th December, 2021: In a strong countermove against environmental and economic threats, officials from the East African Community (EAC) Secretariat and six Partner States gathered from13th to 14th December, 2021 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, to reaffirm new strategies involving cross-border cooperation.
The joint effort is in response to a landmark study of four iconic “natural capital” landscapes the countries share.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 15th December, 2021: The Government of Kenya will support the National Judiciary's quest to develop the Kenya Judiciary Academy into a regional hub that would be beneficial to all EAC Partner States, President Uhuru Kenyatta has said.
President Kenyatta further disclosed that his government has allocated 55 acres of land in Nairobi for the construction of a world-class Kenya Judiciary Academy in a move to boost judicial education in Kenya and beyond.
“This support is already underway and the Kenya Judiciary Academy is already supporting the training of judges and judicial officers from Somalia and South Sudan,” said President Kenyatta.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 15th December, 2021: The East African Judicial Education Committee (EAJEC) has urged National Judicial Training Institutes in EAC Partner States to prioritise their training needs when seeking support from Development Partners.
EAJEC observed that National Judicial Training Institutes know their training needs and should be allowed to implement them to fill the existing human resource gaps in national judiciaries.
EAJEC emphasised the need for the Judicial Training Institutes to set up a standing fund that can be utilized where donor funds fall short.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 9th December, 2021: The East African Community (EAC) hails the United Republic of Tanzania for her extensive contribution towards deepening regional integration and in turn increasing intra-EAC trade and development opportunities, as the country marks 60 years since independence.
As one of the three founding Partner States of the Community, Tanzania plays an integral role in the region, serving as one of the three original Partner States of the EAC who signed the Treaty establishing the EAC on 30th November 1999, which entered into force on 7th July, 2000.
Regional Protection and Solutions Dialogue for the East and Horn of Africa
Statements of Good Practices and Recommendations
6 - 7 December 2021 Safari Park Hotel, Nairobi, Kenya
The Regional Protection and Solutions Dialogue for the East and Horn of Africa was held at the Safari Park Hotel in Nairobi, Kenya on 6th and 7th of December 2021. The Dialogue was co-convened by UNHCR’s Regional Bureau for the East, Horn, and the Great Lakes, the East African Community (EAC) and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).
Representatives of 10 member and Partner States of the EAC and IGAD were in attendance: Burundi, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia, Tanzania, and Uganda. Participants included Ministers, Refugee Commissioners and national and international refugee protection and solution experts. The African Union Commission (AUC) and the International Conference of the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) were also represented.
East African Community, Mwanza, Tanzania, 6th December, 2021: The EAC Secretary General Hon. (Dr.) Peter Mathuki said Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) play a crucial role in the economic development of East African countries, accounting for 90% of businesses and 80% of employment especially among youth and women.
Speaking during the official opening of the 21stMSMEs Trade Fair at Rock City Grounds, Mwanza, United Republic of Tanzania, Dr. Mathuki reiterated that EAC Partner States still have a critical role in enabling MSMEs growth to ensure long term sustainability and recovery by promoting programs that prioritise MSMEs to spur demand for quality finished goods and progressively improve the region’s competitiveness.
