East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 27 May 2020: The EAC Secretariat is enhancing the capacity of staff at the eight international airports in the region on the prevention of and response to the spread of COVID-19 ahead of Partner States resuming their flight schedules. The first training of trainers (TOT) started yesterday at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, Kenya.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 26th May, 2020: The East African Community wishes to congratulate the Government and the people of Burundi for peaceful and successful nominations, campaigns, and voting process with respect to the 2020 Elections that has just been concluded.
The 87.8 percent turnout for the process bears testimony to the desire of the people of Burundi to participate in determining their political future, which is critical to sustainable peace, security and stability.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 21st May, 2020: The Republic of Kenya on Wednesday received two mobile laboratories from the East African Community Secretariat as part of regional efforts to contain COVID-19 and other infectious diseases.
Kenya’s EAC Affairs and Regional Development Cabinet Secretary, Mr. Adan Mohammed, handed over the mobile labs on behalf of the EAC Secretary General, Amb Liberat Mfumukeko, to the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Hon. Mutahi Kagwe.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 21st May, 2020: The East African Community Secretariat has handed over mobile laboratories and Coronavirus test kits to the Republic of Kenya.
During the hand-over ceremony at the Tanzania/Kenya border town of Namanga, the EAC Secretariat handed-over two four-wheel drive vehicles fitted with laboratory and ICT equipment, as well as all the necessary consumables for a fully functional laboratory with the capacity to conduct tests for Ebola and the coronavirus in addition to other pathogens.
East African Court of Justice, 18 May 2020: The Appellate Division will resume Sessions via Video Conference this week. This follows a decision by the extra Ordinary Plenary for Judges held virtually last month in April which resolved Court to roll out online hearings, delivery of Rulings and Judgments this month after a successful test run. The decision on video conference hearings is based under Rule 132 & 133 of the EACJ Rules of Procedure 2019, on use of technology in Court Proceedings and electronic sharing of documents respectively. To supplement the above provisions, the Court has also issued extra guidelines to be followed by the Parties.
…formal report of deliberations to be tabled during next plenary
East African Legislative Assembly, Arusha, Tanzania: May 14th, 2020:The East African Legislative Assembly has today reiterated regional joint and coordinated approaches in the fight to contain the COVID-19 pandemic at the EAC. EALA Members stated at a virtual (via video conference) meeting chaired by the Speaker, Rt Hon Ngoga Martin, that such initiatives would complement existing measures currently in place by the Partner States.
During the meeting, Members took the opportunity to provide feedback on their recent activities in the Partner States and to apprise developments in the Partner States with regards to level of preparedness to combat COVID- 19.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 10th May, 2020: East African Community Partner States have been directed to support local production of essential medical products and supplies including masks, sanitizers, soaps, processed food, ventilators as part of efforts to combat COVID-19 in the region.
A Joint consultative meeting of Partner States’ Ministers and Cabinet Secretaries responsible for Health, Trade, Transport and EAC Affairs via video conference held on 8th May, 2020 to discuss a regional approach to COVID-19 further directed Partner States to facilitate farmers to continue farming activities during this pandemic and post COVID-19 period.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 30th April, 2020: The East African Community has unveiled a comprehensive COVID-19 Response Plan to reinforce measures to protect and prevent further spread of the novel coronavirus pandemic within the region.
The response plan was developed following a directive by the Joint Meeting of Ministers responsible for Health, Trade and EAC Affairs held via Video Conference, which directed the EAC Secretariat to finalize and submit the EAC Regional COVID-19 Response Plan to the Partner States.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 30 April, 2020: Human mobility across countries, largely driven by air travel, has been one of the main vectors that facilitated the rapid spread of COVID-19 across the world, and many of the confirmed COVID-19 cases in the EAC region have also had a history of air travel.
Airports in the EAC region enhanced their preparedness and response measures early and have been able to intercept several COVID-19 susceptible travelers through intensified surveillance and screening. Yet, airports continue to be high risk areas for the spread of infectious diseases.
…committee activities and parliamentary business to continue online via video-conferencing
East African Legislative Assembly, Arusha, April 27th 2020: With the region and globe consolidating in the fight to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) has resolved to hold its 4th Meeting of its 3rd Session in a different format. For the first time in its history, the Assembly’s Sitting is to be held virtually in the EAC Partner States. A number of key reports top the agenda of the 3-week virtual meeting, to be presided over by the Speaker, Rt Hon Ngoga Karoli Martin.
The Committee on Regional Affairs and Conflict Resolution is to consider the report on the EAC Integrity and Anti-Corruption Bill, before it is to be presented at the virtual plenary anticipated for Thursday, May 7th, 2020. Other key reports to be tabled during the period are that of the Committee on Accounts on Capacity Building Workshop and the Report of the Committee on Agriculture, Tourism and Natural Resources on the On-Spot Assessment of the activities of the Lake Victoria Basin Commission (LVBC).
