Kenya National Cohesion and Integration Commission on EAC Study Tour

Written on 24 March 2017. Posted in Peace & Security

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).
 

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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.

Inter-Burundi Dialogue: Commencement of the Formal Dialogue after Completion of Consultative Talks

Written on 08 February 2017. Posted in Peace & Security

East African Community Secretariat; Arusha, Tanzania; 08 February 2017:

The Former President of the United Republic of Tanzania, H.E. Benjamin William Mkapa, in his capacity as the Facilitator of the Inter-Burundi Dialogue has announced the commencement of the formal dialogue after completion of the consultative talks. The Session is scheduled for 16th  – 18th February 2017, at the Arusha International Conference Centre (AICC).

The convening of this session follows rigorous consultations the Facilitator made with various stakeholders within and outside Burundi, after which he identified an Eight-point Agenda raised by all stakeholders and agreed to be the main sticking points which he reported to the Summit in September 2016.

This Eight-point Agenda, which will form the thrust of the dialogue and subsequent negations, in no particular order of importance, includes: Security and commitment to end all forms of violence; Commitment to the Rule of Law and an end to impunity; Status of the implementation of the Arusha Peace and Reconciliation Agreement; Strengthening of Democratic Culture and Opening up of Political Space; Social and Humanitarian Issues.

Others are, Implementation of the EAC Summit Decision of July 6th, 2015 on the Formation of the Government of National Unity; Impact of the Crisis on the Economy; and the Relationship between Burundi, its Neighbours and other International Partners.

In this initial phase of this dialogue which is by and large a political process, the Facilitator will invite some of the Political Parties and important political actors to whom he will introduce the unpacked Eight-point agenda to determine areas of convergence and divergence.

Other stakeholders like the civil society organizations, religious groups, as well as women and youth will be invited in later sessions for a similar purpose. It is the expectation of the Facilitator that, in this initial dialogue, inputs from participant will draw up an outline of the would-be agreement to be continuously refined until when it fully agreed upon by all stakeholder and can be signed as a final agreement hopefully in June, 2017 as he envisaged.

Ends

Issued by:

Office of the Facilitator of the Inter-Burundi Dialogue on this day 8th February 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.