Assembly commences Plenary Sitting in Zanzibar

Posted in Press Release

East African Legislative Assembly, Arusha, February 19, 2018: The Isles of Zanzibar hosts the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA). The Assembly convenes for the 4^th Meeting of its 2^nd Session which runs from February 18^th, 2019 to March 8^th, 2019.

The President of Zanzibar and the Chairman of the Revolutionary Council, H.E. Dr Ali Mohammed Shein is expected to officiate at a special Sitting on February 26^th, 2019. Key items at the Sitting include debate on the East African Supplementary Appropriation Bill, 2019 and the consideration of various key Committee reports.

The Assembly is further expected to receive a briefing by the EAC Secretary General on the status of EAC projects. The Sitting is also to be interspersed in Week 1 by rigorous Committee work with all 6 Committees reviewing pertinent issues that precede debate next week.  The six Committees are:

• the Committee on Accounts,
• the Committtee on Agriculture, Tourism and Natural Resources
• the Committee on General Purpose
• the Committee on Regional Affairs and Conflict Resolution
• the Committee on Communication, Trade and Investment, and
• the Committee on Legal Rules and Privileges.  

The whole House will also meet with a number of key EAC and other institutions. Two EAC Institutions, the EAC Kiswahili Commission and the Inter-University Council of East Africa (IUCEA) are on the cards.  In addition, the executives of the African Palliative Care Association and the with Doris Mollel Foundation will also touch base with the Assembly to discuss matters pertinent to integration.  As part of its outreach programmes, the Assembly similarly has a date with stakeholders from the Zanzibar Business Board (ZBB) and the University of Zanzibar.

The Assembly which holds six Plenary Sessions in the region every financial year, embraces the principle of rotation in a bid to create awareness of its work. Zanzibar last hosted EALA (Second Meeting of the Fifth Session of the Third Assembly) in October 2016.

NOTE TO EDITORS ABOUT EALA

The East African Legislative Assembly is the Legislative Organ of the East African Community. Its Membership consists of a total of 62, of whom 54 are elected Members (9 from each Partner State) and eight ex-officio members (the Ministers responsible for EAC Affairs from the Partner States, the Secretary General of the Community and the Counsel to the Community).

The East African Legislative Assembly has legislative functions as well as oversight of all East African Community matters.  The enactment of legislation of the Community is put in effect by means of Bills passed by the Assembly and assented to by the Heads of State, and every Bill that has been duly passed and assented to become an Act of the Community and takes precedent over similar legislations in the Partner States.  EALA has to date passed 80 pieces of legislation.

- ENDS -

For more information, please contact:

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.

EAC Secretariat conducts a one-day sensitization mission to the Republic of South Sudan

Posted in Press Release

East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 18th February, 2019: The EAC Secretariat staff under the Directorate of Productive Sectors led by Director of Productive Sectors, Mr. Jean Baptiste Havugimana, conducted a one-day sensitization mission in Juba, the Republic of South Sudan (RSS).

The EAC Secretariat team comprised of senior staff drawn from the departments of Agriculture and Food Security, Energy, Industry and SMEs Development, Tourism and wildlife management, Environment and Natural Resources management. The event attracted high level policy makers and technical officers drawn from key Ministries in RSS.

In his opening remarks, the Director Productive Sectors, noted that the RSS is a valuable and strategic member of the Community in numerous ways. If sustainably exploited, resources in RSS could contribute significantly to increased trade and socio-economic development of the Community.

On his part, Mr. Leo Okwahi, Director General Ministry of Trade and Industry and East African Affairs, RSS, underscored the tremendous potential associated with Productive Sectors in the country. He thanked the EAC Secretariat for organizing the visit and for choosing this very hands-on and customized approach for South Sudan.

He observed that this kind of visit was much needed in order to try to match actions of EAC productive sectors with the real situations prevailing in those sectors on the ground in S. Sudan. He underscored the fact that the protracted civil war has led to among other many issues; loss of lives, displaced people, stopped all the activities in the productive sectors and other economic and social sectors and undermined the country’s progress since it gained independence eight years ago.

He however, expressed optimism that the peace agreement signed in 2018 was crucial for political stability and socio-economic development of the country.

During the event, EAC Secretariat team made elaborate presentations of key flagship programmes implemented under the Productive Sectors as well as backward and forward linkages across the productive sectors and other socio-economic sectors.

They highlighted in great details achievements and success stories registered so far while indicating where and how they think S. Sudan can be immediately involved to achieve quick wins.

Interactive discussions that followed the presentations focused on the benefits that the EAC integration agenda offers and how the Republic of S. Sudan can be fully engaged and integrated in the existing programmes, initiatives and projects under productive sectors.

Many observations were made during the meeting by South Sudanese experts and areas prone to quick wins in all the five sectors identified as follows;

(i) Revival of Agriculture and Livestock Sectors basing on the EAC Food and Nutrition Strategy and Action Plan. Agriculture was the main stay of the economy and the country was self-reliant in food and nutrition security until civil strife disrupted the sector. Currently, the country depends largely on imports of all sorts of food from the north Sudan, Uganda and Kenya. In addition, the huge livestock population in the country could be exploited to increase household incomes in areas such as dairy production, meat processing and hides and leather value addition.

(ii) RSS has vast energy reserves including oil. However, the energy sector is underdeveloped and under exploited. The little available electricity in Juba and other urban areas is produced using costly diesel generators. The EAC power pool and the ongoing interconnections arrangements can benefit RSS to mitigate this challenge. Solar energy can help solve much of this problem especially for urban households.

(iii) RSS is a potentially lucrative tourist destination but a lot needs to be done in development of tourist facilities and laying down the necessary infrastructure to market tourism. RSS can benefit from EAC single tourist visa arrangements and joint regional marketing interventions led by EAC.

(iv) In the area of Industrial development, there is need to pay more attention to promotion of Small Scale Enterprises (SMEs) in order to create more employment opportunities for the youth in agro processing and manufacturing. The country had a number of agro-based industry factories that were running before the war. This could be revitalized to reduce reliance on imports.

(v) Under Environment and Natural Resources Management, the first thing that can be done is the fight against lithering and Pollution. Plastics and all types of other paper waste are every where in the City of Juba. A customized awareness and fight against lithering and pollution Programme can be introduced first in the City of Juba and later on scaled up to other cities.

The one-day sensitization mission meeting ended on a high note with S.Sudanese experts committing themselves to escalate the conclusions of the meeting to their principals to ensure that EAC programmes are embraced and mainstreamed in national planning and budgeting cycles of the Republic of South Sudan.

They also committed to prioritize implementation of Summit and Council of Ministers Decisions and Directives in order to contribute towards achievements of the goals of the Community.

-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. 

The EAC Secretariat is ISO 9001:2008 Certified