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Press Release

Bill and Melinda Gates Delegation pays a Courtesy Call on EAC Secretary General

East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, 5th October , 2017:

The Program Officer of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Mr. John Ndunguru accompanied by Director of National Payment System from the Bank of Tanzania (BOT) Mr. Bernard Dadi, today paid a courtesy call on the Secretary General of the East African Community, Amb. Liberat Mfumukeko, at the EAC Headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.
 
The two officials discussed a wide range of issues surrounding the EAC integration process including the Financial Sector Development and Regionalization Project, a project funded by the World Bank in collaboration with the EAC Secretariat which focuses on mutual recognition of national IDs for free movement of persons, access to services across borders, and mobile money/non-bank transfers.
 
Mr. Nduguru reiterated the importance of the EAC-Bill and Melinda cooperation  in furthering regional integration efforts and re-affirmed the commitment of the foundation towards a concept for advancing financial inclusion in East Africa
 
He said the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has been a strong supporter of the strategies and innovations that have extended digital financial services to the poor, demonstrating how they can overcome traditional barriers to financial inclusion.
 
On his part, Amb. Mfumukeko noted the strong collaboration that exists between the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the East African people. The Secretary General urged the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to expand its support to all EAC Partner States since the foundation was only working with United Republic of Tanzania, Republic of Kenya and Uganda at the moment.
 
“In my view, in order to get a buy-in of the Community, especially at the level of the EAC Council of Ministers, please consider expanding your support to the Republics of Rwanda, Burundi and S.Sudan," said Amb. Mfumukeko.
 
The Secretary General  was accompanied by Deputy Secretary General in charge of Finance and Administration, Ms. Jesca Eriyo, and other senior staff of the EAC Secretariat.

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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.

EAC Secretary General Meets USAID Kenya and East African Mission Director

East African Community Secretariat; Arusha, Tanzania; 02 October 2017:

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EAC Secretary General Amb. Liberat Mfumukeko (centre, front row) in a group photo with Ms. Karen Freeman, USAID Kenya and East Africa Mission Director at the EAC Headquarters in Arusha. Also in the photo are top officials from USAID Kenya East Africa office and the EAC Secretariat.

 

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EAC Secretary General Amb. Liberat Mfumukeko (right) with Ms. Karen Freeman, the Mission Director of USAID-KEA. The two discussed issues of mutual interest between the EAC and the United States of America.

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EAC Secretary General Amb. Liberat Mfumukeko (left) greets Mr. Patrick Wilson, Deputy Mission Director at the USAID Kenya and East Africa (USAID-KEA) office at the EAC Headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania. Looking on is Ms. Karen Freeman, USAID-KEA Mission Director.

 

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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.

Better Health through Healthy Animals: EAC Secretariat Joins World Rabies Day Celebration in Arusha

East African Community Secretariat; Arusha, Tanzania; 02 October 2017:

‘Today I learned that you can be bitten by a dog when you bother it and when it is sick with Rabies. I also learned that if you care for dogs they will be very friendly’, says 11 year old Clara Yuda Opasi, who is in Standard 5 C of the Imani Primary School in Arusha’s Sombeteni ward during the celebrations of the World Rabies Day at Imani Primary School on 28th September ,2017.

The Imani Primary School is one out of 70 primary schools that participated in the celebrations of the World Rabies Day and Clara is one out of nearly 600 pupils who attended the awareness raising campaign around the risks connected with rabies at Imani Primary School alone.

 
Rabies is an infectious disease of public health concern, globally and in particular in the East African region. Rabies is the most fatal viral-zoonotic disease transmitted between animals and humans. Once an infected person shows signs, there is no cure.
 
Many humans and most of them children get infected by rabies through dog bites. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends the vaccination of dogs as the most effective intervention against rabies. Decreasing rabies in dogs directly impacts on public health by reducing the transmission to humans. It is worth noting that care given to dogs can also make a huge difference in the fight against rabies.
 
This is one of the messages of Bernadette Mathias of Mbwa wa Africa, who thrilled the Imani teachers and pupils with her advice on how to care for dogs, how to prevent being bitten and what to do in case this still happens.
 
The East African Community (EAC) Secretariat in cooperation with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH joined the awareness campaign on World Rabies Day for the first time this year to set a sign that rabies is not only a Tanzanian, but a regional concern. ‘I would like to see this campaign rolled out in all our Partner States next year’, said Fahari Marwa, Head of the EAC’s Agriculture and Food Security Department.
 
The coming Saturday and Sunday the World Rabies Day celebrations will culminate in free of fee vaccinations of dogs all over Arusha City. Jens Fissenebert of Mbwa wa Africa urged the pupils to bring their dogs to the stations nearest to their homes. Geoffrey Muchai, Head of the Imani Primary School agreed with Dr. Onesma Mandike from the Arusha City Council and Joel Changalucha from the Ministry of Agriculture in the meaningfulness of the awareness day: ‘This campaign is very good and I have learned many new things, for example that dogs should not be killed to prevent rabies or about the high number of people who die each year from rabies – 1500, that is a lot’.


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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.

African Countries losing 5% Revenue due to inefficient Border Procedures

East African Community Secretariat; Arusha, Tanzania; 27 September 2017:

Revenue losses from inefficient border procedures in some African countries are estimated to exceed 5% of the Gross Domestic Product, a Roundtable Conference on Trade Facilitation (TF) held at the EAC Headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania, was told today.

Citing a 2013 Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) study, Mr. James Kisaale, an Assistant Commissioner with the Uganda Revenue Authority, said that reducing global trade costs by 1% would increase worldwide income by more than US$40 billion, with developing countries being the biggest beneficiaries.
Kisaale said the areas that would contribute the most to lowering trade costs in Sub-Saharan Africa were formalities, namely automation, the simplification and harmonisation of documents, and information availability.

Kisaale was speaking during the opening session of the one-day roundtable on trade facilitation which brought together EAC Development Partners as well as Customs and Trade experts from the EAC Secretariat and Partner States’ Ministries of Trade.

The EAC Secretariat organised the Roundtable Conference to review and fast-track the implementation of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Trade Facilitation (TFA). The Conference brought together Development Partners who will work with the EAC in the implementation of the TFA.

Opening the roundtable, the EAC Director General (DG)-Customs and Trade, Mr. Kenneth Bagamuhunda, said that TF was an integral part of the EAC Customs Union Protocol which explicitly provides for reduction in the number and volume of trade documents.

“TF also provides for the adoption of common standards of trade documentation and procedures, coordination and facilitation of trade and transport activities. There is also the reviewing of procedures adopted in international trade and transport facilitation with a view to simplifying and adopting them for use in the EAC,” said the Bagamuhunda.

The DG disclosed that an EAC Trade and Facilitation Sub-Committee has been established to, among other things, supervise the implementation of the WTO TFA at regional and national levels.

He said that Regional and National Implementation Plans for the WTO TFA have been finalized and adopted by the Policy organs.

“Amendments of regional laws, regulations and procedures; development of project proposals for resource mobilization, and; sensitization of stakeholders is currently underway,” added the DG.

He cited the Single Customs Territory (SCT) and the interconnectivity of customs systems among some of the key TFA components that have been implemented by the EAC.
“The SCT provides for the free circulation of goods, reduces cost of doing business, reduces Non-Tariff Barriers, ensures competitiveness, boosts business predictability and promotes investment,” he said, adding that SCT is premised on the use of electronic systems.

Other components already implemented are: the establishment of One-Stop Border Posts; harmonisation of standards, reduction of Non-tariff barriers, and; publication of the EAC Trade and Investment report.

Speaking at the forum, Amb. Arthur Mattli, Switzerland’s Representative to the EAC, said that his country believes that bureaucratic delays and ‘red tapes’ pose an unnecessary and expensive burden for moving goods across borders for traders.

Amb. Mattli said the TFA would help developing countries diversify their exports and tap into global value chains.

He disclosed that Switzerland had so far disbursed US$3.5 million as part of its contribution to the TFA’s Trade Facilitation Support Programme, a multi-donor programme of the World Bank Group’s Trade and Competitiveness Global Practice which provides support for countries seeking assistance in aligning their trade practices with the WTO TFA.

“Every country is eligible to receive support under the programme. Eligible countries are expected to have demonstrated a strong commitment to implementing trade facilitation reforms in the areas covered by the WTO TFA. Moreover, the support programme will prioritize assistance to countries with other limited access to other donor support,” said Amb. Mattli.


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Notes to Editor: 

The World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Trade Facilitation (TFA) entered into force on 22nd February, 2017 following its ratification by two-thirds (2/3) of the WTO membership, including two EAC Partner States Kenya and Rwanda. The TFA contains among others provisions relating to the transparency, expediting the movement, release and clearance of goods, including goods in transit. The agreement also sets out measures for effective cooperation between Customs and other border agencies on trade facilitation, customs and trade compliance issues.

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.

EAC Secretariat joins Campaign to Eliminate Dog-Mediated Rabies by 2030


East African Community Secretariat; Arusha, Tanzania; 27 September 2017:

Some 1,500 people die annually from rabies in the United Republic of Tanzania alone, according to scientific estimates. Official numbers are lower, because many cases are not reported and not all reported cases appear in the official statistics. Most rabies victims are children and dog bites are the main path of transmission.
 
Rabies is an infectious disease of public health concern for the entire East African region and beyond. Against this backdrop, the EAC Secretariat supports the World Rabies Day, which takes place on 28 September, 2017, through the ‘Support to Pandemic Preparedness in the EAC Region’ project that is implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) on behalf of the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany.
 
Rabies is the most fatal virus zoonosis (disease that can be transmitted between animals and humans) known to mankind. Once an infected person shows signs, there is no cure to rabies. In Africa and Asia, many humans get infected by rabies through dog bites. The World Health Organization (WHO) underscores the importance of dog vaccination as the most effective intervention against rabies, decreasing rabies in dogs and having a direct impact on public health by reducing transmission to humans.
 
“The planned Rabies Vaccination Initiative around the World Rabies Day is a striking example for the importance of close cooperation between human and animal medical professions and for the necessity of the One Health approach when preventing and controlling zoonotic diseases,” emphasise both, Dr Stanley Sonoiya, Head of the EAC’s Health Department, and Fahari G. Marwa, Head of the EAC’s Agriculture and Food Security Department. The EAC Secretariat strives to implement the One Health approach in the EAC Region.
 
The 28th of September every year is observed to commemorate World Rabies Day, a day that marks the anniversary of the demise of Louis Pasteur, the French chemist and microbiologist, who developed the first rabies vaccine. While observing this day, we raise awareness on rabies prevention and highlight progress in the fight against rabies that puts human and animal health at risk.
 
Supported by the EAC Secretariat, WHO and the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) among others, Mbwa Wa Africa Animal Rescue will vaccinate an estimated 5,000 dogs across 20 vaccination stations in Arusha City on World Rabies Day. In addition, Mbwa Wa Africa raises awareness in about 70 schools in Arusha on how to safely approach dogs and on how to read possible signs of rabies infection and to distinguish infected from healthy dogs. Weekly rabies awareness articles will be published in both English and Swahili newspapers.
 
The activities are planned in collaboration with the Arusha City Council in liaison with the Tanzanian Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries and the Ministry of Health. The EAC Secretariat intends to support the World Rabies Day 2018 celebrations in all Partner States to further emphasise the regional significance.
 
This is especially true for high risk cross-border areas among local communities surrounding National Parks and Game Reserves. The latter initiative will target transmission of rabies in wild dogs and foxes.
 
Below are the vaccination stations and respective dates.

DATE WARD LOCATION
30th September Baraa Baraa Primary School
  Elerai Elerai Primary School
  Kati Uhuru Primary School
  Kimandolu Kimandolu Primary School
  Kimandolu Suye Primary School
  Levolosi Levolosi Primary School
  Sekei Kijenge Primary School
  Themi Themi Primary School
  Unga Ltd. Unga Ltd. Primary School
  Sekei Arusha City Livestock Department
     
1st October Engutoto Njiro Hill Primary School
  Lemara Lemara Primary School
  Moshono Wema Primary School
  Olasiti Olasiti Primary School
  Olorien Olorien Primary School
  Sinon Sinon Primary School
  Sokon Sokon Primary School
  Sokon Muriet Primary School
  Sokon Ghati Memorial Primary School
  Sombetini Sombetini Primary School


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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.

EAC meeting on Operationalization of Regional Network of Public Health Reference Laboratories for Communicable Diseases begins in Arusha

East African Community Secretariat; Arusha, Tanzania; 19 September 2017:

The East African Community meeting on orientation and planning on the operationalization of the Regional Network of Public Health Reference Laboratories for Communicable Diseases (RNPHRL) is underway at the EAC headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.

The purpose of the RNPHRL meeting is to strengthen capacities in all five EAC Partner States to respond to pathogens of biosafety level 3 and 4 nature and other outbreaks of infectious diseases, prone to cause cross-border epidemics, by rapid diagnostic capacities that enable timely interventions.

The establishment of the RNPHRL has been necessitated by the growing challenge of epidemics and pandemics including viral haemorrhagic fevers (e.g. Ebola) with devastating impacts on health outcomes and the economy amidst limited infrastructure and human resource capacity of the National and Regional Reference Public Health Laboratory since most of the laboratories are at biosafety level 2.

The 19th  – 21st September 2017 meeting will among others share experience among Partner States with regard to the operationalization of National/Central Public Health Reference Laboratories and other key national and international laboratories; orient the EAC Partner State Experts on the requirements for the operationalization of the East African Community Regional Network of Public Health Reference Laboratories for Communicable Diseases at Partner State and develop a calendar of activities/roadmap for the first year (running from October 2017 to June 2018) of implementation of the project including determination of the date and venue for the launch of the project.

Speaking during the opening session on behalf of the EAC Secretary General, Amb Liberat Mfumukeko, the EAC Secretariat Principal Health Officer,  Dr. Stanley Sonoiya highlighted the importance of the EAC Partner State Experts to orient on the requirements for the operationalization of the Regional Network of Public Health Reference Laboratories for Communicable Diseases at the Partner State.

He disclosed to the meeting that the establishment of a high-capacity regional network of reference laboratories was prioritized in the 4th EAC Development Strategy (2011/12-2015/16) and remained a major agenda in the 10th, 11th, 12th and 13th Meetings of the EAC Sectoral Council of Ministers of Health also referred to as the Sectoral Council on Health.

He informed meeting that the design of the Project has been aligned with the policy guidance and directives of 12th Ordinary Meeting of the EAC Sectoral Council of Ministers of Health held on 22nd June 2016 as well as the German Development Bank (KfW) Project Appraisal Mission from 8th to 10th December 2015.

On her part, Ms Sanna Stocktrom, Project Manager  from  KfW said ‘’We are very happy with our relationship and our strong partnership with EAC in the development of the regional bloc’’

She  reiterated that the signed financing agreement valued at 10 million euros with the EAC Secretariat on 23rd November 2016 to support  the establishment of RNPHRL project  underlines that Germany wishes to further strengthen the long-standing and deep relationship it maintains with the East African Community in order to contribute to the well-being and prosperity of its citizens”.

The RNPHRL meeting  is being attended by Head of the National/Central Public Health Laboratory; National Head of Disease Prevention and Control; National Head of Integrated Diseases Surveillance and Response as well as  National Head of the Health Management Information Systems/Strategic Information Management from each of the Partner States.


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Notes to Editor: 

The Federal Government of Germany through the German Development Bank (KfW) has signed a financing agreement valued at 10 million euros with the EAC Secretariat on 23rd November 2016 to support the establishment and operationalization of the East African Community Regional Network of Public Health Reference Laboratories for Communicable Diseases (EAC – RNPHRL).

The establishment of the EAC – RNPHRL has been necessitated by the growing challenge of epidemics and pandemics including viral haemorrhagic fevers (e.g. Ebola) with devastating impacts on health outcomes and the economy amidst limited infrastructure and human resource capacity of the National and Regional Reference Public Health Laboratory since most of the laboratories are at biosafety level 2.

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.

EAC Competition Authority Commissioners Meet in Arusha

East African Community Secretariat; Arusha, Tanzania; 19 September 2017:

The 2nd Meeting of the EAC Competition Authority to develop EAC Competition Authority Rules of Procedure and review progress reports for the Authority’s activities for the period January- June, 2017 was held  on 13th – 15th September, 2017 at the EAC headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania

Gracing the opening of the meeting the EAC Secretary General, Amb. Liberat Mfumukeko emphasized the importance of competition law and policy in the facilitation of regional integration.

Amb. Mfumukeko informed the meeting that the Community has huge opportunities which are attractive to potential investors. However, the EAC markets pose challenges to investors and consumers including the charging of high prices arising from anti-competitive practices such as cartels. These practices impede effective competition in the markets, added Amb Mfumukeko.

The Secretary General disclosed to the meeting that the community was also focusing on increasing investment in industrialization and agricultural sectors as part of her strategies to reduce the high rate of unemployment in the region.

He informed the Commissioners that there is need to have a conducive environment to create employment by attracting investors from the Community and the rest of the world.

Amb. Mfumukeko further informed the Commissioners that he was hopeful that they will create an impact in the Community as they play a critical role towards leveling competition regulation across the Partner States

On his part ,the Chairperson of the Commissioners, Mr. Sam Watasa reiterated that full operationalization of the EAC competition Authority (Authority) would help to address market distortions that affect private sector investments.

He also noted that development of Competition policy and law in the region was at different levels of implementation. Kenya and Tanzania have operational National Competition Agencies, Rwanda and Burundi had enacted laws but are yet to be operationalized. In Uganda there was a draft Competition Bill. He envisaged that once the Authority became fully operational, the processes of operationalizing competition laws in Partner States would be enhanced.

The meeting was attended by Competition Authority Commissioners from all the Partner States and staff of the EAC Competition Authority.


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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.

Germany Pledges Continued Support to EAC

East African Community Secretariat; Arusha, Tanzania; 19 September 2017:

The Federal Republic of Germany will continue providing technical and financial support to the East African Community Partner.

The two priority areas for German support to the EAC are regional economic integration and health with German support since 1998 adding up to 285 million euros.

The Deputy Head of the East Africa Division of the Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development, Mr. Georg Rademacher, disclosed that in the last two years alone, Germany has committed 60 million euros for the procurement of life-saving vaccines for children in the EAC.

Mr. Rademacher further said Germany had also allocated 4 million euros for a Centre of Excellence for Information and Communication Technology, 3 million euros for pandemic preparedness and another 5 million euros to support a scholarship programme.

“These commitments were all done on top of the 67 million euros pledged during government negotiations in 2015,” he said.

He emphasised the importance of incorporating the private sector, civil society and other stakeholders in EAC activities, adding that they are key drivers for effective implementation and deeper integration.

Mr. Rademacher was speaking during the opening session of one-day bilateral consultations on development cooperation between Germany and the EAC. The talks were aimed at coming up with a new development cooperation framework for the 2019-2022 period. 

In his remarks, Hon. Christophe Bazivamo, the EAC Secretary General in charge of Productive and Social Sectors, noted that the EAC-German Cooperation 2019-2022 comes against the backdrop of positive economic performance in the region that was realized under the 4th EAC Development Strategy 2012-2017.

Hon. Bazivamo said cooperation between the EAC and Germany had resulted in notable achievements in health and pharmaceutical sectors; trade and customs; promotion of gender and education; monetary harmonization; institutional capacity strengthening and support to the Partnership Fund.

Germany’s Ambassador to the EAC, Dr. Dieter Waechter, said the cooperation between Germany and the EAC goes back a long way, adding that it had strengthened bilateral relations in addition to enabling the EAC make major milestones in the integration process.

Also present at the function were the GIZ Country Director Ernst Hustädt, KfW (German Development Bank) Tanzania Office Director Dr. Helmut Schön, EAC Deputy Secretary General in charge of Planning and Infrastructure, Eng. Steven Mlote and the Director General, Customs and Trade, Mr. Kenneth Bagamuhunda. Others were the Lake Victorian Basin Commission Executive Secretary, Dr. Said Ali Matano, the Inter-University Council of East Africa Executive Secretary, Prof Alexandre Lyambabaje, and Dr. Anthony Kafumbe, the Counsel to the Community.


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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.

New Ugandan High Commissioner presents Credentials to EAC Secretary General

East African Community Secretariat; Arusha, Tanzania; 13 September 2017:

The East African Community Secretary General, Amb. Liberat Mfumukeko today received credentials from Uganda’s new High Commissioner to Tanzania and the EAC, H.E. Richard T. Kabonero.The accreditation of Amb. Kabonero took place at the EAC Headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.

Receiving the High Commissioner, Amb. Mfumukeko informed that in addition to the implementation of the Customs Union, Common Market and Monetary Union protocols, the EAC was currently mobilizing resources for diverse infrastructure development projects including railways and roads.

Amb. Mfumukeko said that the Community was also focusing on increased investment in the industrialization and agricultural sectors as part of strategies to reduce the high rate of unemployment in the region. He informed the High Commissioner that plans were underway to adopt Kiswahili as official language of the Community.

In his remarks, Amb. Kabonero commended initiatives being made by the EAC to address climate change, drought, food security and desertification in the region.

He urged the Secretariat to follow up with Partner States on the implementation of the EAC One Area Mobile Network, adding that only three countries had implemented the policy. He said joint infrastructure development initiatives including the oil pipeline from Lake Albert in Uganda to the Tanzanian port of Tanga would boost economic activity in the two countries.

Also present at the meeting were the EAC Deputy Secretary General in charge of Planning and Infrastructure, Eng. Steven Mlote, Ugandan Embassy Liaison Officer in Arusha Nora Lema and Dr. James Njagu, Chef de Cabinet to the Secretary General.


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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.

The EAC Secretariat is ISO 9001: 2008 Certified


East African Community
EAC Close
Afrika Mashariki Road
P.O. Box 1096
Arusha
United Republic of Tanzania

Tel: +255 (0)27 216 2100
Fax: +255 (0)27 216 2190
Email: eac@eachq.org