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10th Meeting of the EAC Sectoral Council on Finance and Economic Affairs underway in Arusha

 East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, 30th April, 2019: The 10th meeting of the East African Community (EAC) Sectoral Council on Finance and Economic Affairs (SCFEA) is currently underway at the EAC Headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.

The five-day meeting, which started yesterday 29th April, 2019, is being attended by Finance and Economic Affairs  experts from the EAC Partner States.

The SCFEA is, among others, considering  the status of implementation of previous directives, reports of the Capital Market, Insurance and Pensions Committee, Committee on Fiscal Affairs and the report of the Task Force on development of East African Monetary Union (EAMU) institutions.

The SCFEA meeting kicked off with the Session of Senior Officials, which will run up to 1st May, 2019. This will be followed by the Coordination Committee, which consists of the Permanent/Principal Secretaries on 2nd May, 2019, and the Ministerial Session on 3rd May, 2019.

-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

EALA resumes sitting in Arusha

East African Legislative Assembly, Arusha, 29 April, 2019: The 5th Meeting of the 2nd Session of EALA commences this morning (April 29th, 2019) in Arusha, Tanzania, and runs through to May 18th, 2019.

Key items during the three-week Sitting include the debate on the East African Community Youth Council Bill, 2017 and the Report of the Committee on consideration and review of the Accounts Report for the Financial Year ended June 30th, 2017. Also, to be tabled and debated in the House is a key report of the Committee of Agriculture, Tourism and Natural Resources on oversight with stakeholders for Budgetary enhancement in the Agricultural sector, an activity which took place in March this year.  

The object of the EAC Youth Council Bill, 2017, is to provide a legal framework for the harmonization of laws and policies regarding the youth in the Community. This Bill is premised on Article 120 of the Treaty for the Establishment of the EAC and in particular seeks to implement the EAC Youth Policy, 2014, which is an integral component of the 4th Development Strategy.

The Development Strategy identifies among other things; the strengthening and promotion of policies, laws and programmes that focus on the development of youth in the Community.    Last month, EALA held public hearings in the Partner States to concretize the inputs and views of youth among other stakeholders on the Bill.  The report of the Committee on Accounts on its part, was debated but not adopted when the Assembly met in Arusha on November 6th, 2018.

Instead, the House asked the Committee on Accounts chaired by Hon Dr Ngwaru Maghembe, to revise the recommendations contained therein the report to make it more time bound and actionable. The House is expected to receive an update on the matter.

Other significant issues at the forthcoming Plenary are key meetings of all Committees of the House. Coming up for consideration the entire first week are a number of issues to be deliberated on at Committee level.  The six Committees are:

  • the Committee on Accounts,
  • the Committee 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 stakeholders. A sensitization workshop on Tripartite Transport and Transit facilitation programme (TTTFP) is planned to apprise the House of progress in the transport and infrastructure sector. The objective of the programme anchored under the EAC, Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Tripartite, is to facilitate the development of a more competitive, integrated and liberalized road transport are in the process of developing common standards.

Already, the initiative has carried out baseline studies in 19 participating Member States (including the EAC Partner States) and the workshop is anticipated as an avenue to unpack the TTTFP legal instruments of the proposed Vehicle Load Management Agreement as well as developed model laws and other standards.  Already, the One Stop Border Post Control Bill, enacted by EALA is enforce.

The African Forum and Network on Debt and Development (AFRODAD) will also hold a session with the Assembly on Illicit Financial Flows and Sovereign debt crisis – in the context of Africa in general and East Africa, in particular. In addition, the Executive Secretary and senior officials of the Lake Victoria Basin Commission (LVBC) will hold an interactive session with the House.

The Assembly which holds six Plenary Sessions in every Financial Year, has a principle of rotation. The last sitting (4th Meeting) was held in the isles of Zanzibar on February 16th, 2019 to March 9th, 2019.

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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 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 79 pieces of legislation.

Canadian High Commissioner pays courtesy call on Secretary General

East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, 25th April, 2019: Her Excellency Ms. Pamela O’Donnell, the High Commissioner of the Canadian High Commission in the United Republic of Tanzania, 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 Secretary General briefed the Canadian Envoy on the latest milestones recorded in all the four regional integration pillars and the two officials later discussed a wide range of issues geared towards deepening cooperation between Canada and the East African Community.

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EAC-IGAD-IOC launch Advanced Training for Police Officers on Criminal Investigations

East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, 25th April, 2019: The East African Community, in partnership with the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and the Indian Ocean Commission have over the last three years been implementing the ESA-IO Maritime Security Strategy with a Euro 37.5 Million seed funding from the European Union. Among the interventions envisaged is the enhancement of the Capacity of the Criminal Investigations Authorities of the participating states to effectively and efficiently investigate crimes at sea in a manner that provides a successful legal finish. The EAC was entrusted with this result area and commenced training of investigators on General investigations, Forensic Investigations and Criminal Analysis. Six intermediate trainings, targeting 50 officers per cluster were held between January and June 2018.

The advanced trainings for the same officers in each of the clusters commenced with the training of 50 officers on Criminal Analysis that commenced on 23rd April 2019 in Mauritius. The trainings will take place within a two week period ending May 5th 2019. The trainings are being held at the Mauritius Prisons Training School in Port Louis. INTERPOL, within the context of the MoU between EAC and it (INTERPOL) concluded in 2012, is providing the technical expertise.

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Foreign Direct Investment in East Africa fell in 2018 - UNCTAD

East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 10th April, 2019: Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows to East Africa fell by 14% in 2018, this is according to the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

UNCTAD says that the fall in FDI inflows to East Africa was significant, adding that it makes the region’s in competing for investment projects more challenging.

This despite FDI flows to Africa bucking the global trend and registering and increase of 6% in 2018, though most of these inflows went to North and Southern Africa.

Mr. Paul Wessendorp, Chief of UNCTAD’s Investment Promotion Section, further disclosed that global FDI inflows fell by 19% in 2018 to an estimated US$1.2 trillion, from US$1.47 trillion in 2017.

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EALA in attendance at the 140th IPU Assembly in Doha…as Hon Dr Oburu Oginga addresses the gathering

East African Legislative Assembly, Doha, Qatar: 8th April, 2019: The 140th Inter-Parliamentary Union Assembly commenced in Qatar, this week (April 6-10, 2019) with over 1000 MPs from 160 Parliaments globally, in attendance to deliberate on issues under the umbrella theme of “Parliaments as platforms to enhance education for peace, security and the rule of law”

EALA Speaker, Rt Hon Ngoga Karoli Martin, is represented by EALA Member and Commissioner, Hon Dr Oburu Oginga. Hon Dr Oginga addressed the congregation this morning (April 8h, 2019) urging parliamentarians to enact legislation and provide oversight on policies on the education sector that build and enhance sustainable peace. Hon Dr Oginga termed access to education, resources, respect for diversity and identity as well as equal and equitable participation in decision making at all levels as critical. He further called for measures to address the historical and contemporary injustices.

The EALA Member said Parliaments need to be more impactful in their approaches to addressing peace and ensuring rule of law. Hon Dr Oginga told legislators to advocate for targeted education and initiatives that abhor violence, enhance peace-building tools and support human security around the globe for positive societal impact. 

Hon Dr Oginga said EALA had continued to play a critical part in so far as peace and security is concerned. The Assembly has passed the EAC Human and Peoples’ Rights Bill, 2012 and about 12 Resolutions on the subject matter. The Assembly further works with the EAC Secretariat and other institutions in promoting research, building pertinent partnerships and peace initiatives as measures to curtail forms of insecurity and thus promote peaceful co-existence of communities”, he said. The Member called for full implementation of the Peace and Security Protocol including the setting up of an EAC Security Council and an EAC Stand-by-Brigade as well as the institutionalization of the Panel of the Wise and other related institutions.

He further called for effective oversight on the projects of the agencies that ensure cohesiveness and concerted efforts towards ensuring humanity issues are addressed.

The 140th Assembly is covering multiple subjects including role of fair and free trade and investments in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) especially that which regard economic equality, sustainable agriculture, industrialization and innovation.   A number of emergency items are further expected to be tabled during the week-long event as is provided for under Assembly Rule 11.1 and Article 14.2 of the IPU Statutes. The items proposed include a call for urgent international action to support Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe, hit by the cyclone Idai and another on preventing and combating racism, intolerance, islamophobia and xenophobia.

Other EALA Members in attendance are, Hon Dr Francois Kalinda, Hon Rose Akol, Hon Dr Gabriel Garang Alaak, Hon Pamela Masaay and senior EALA Parliamentary staff.

The 140th IPU edition has also attracted over 50 Speakers of Parliament and 40 Deputy Speakers. Of the MPs in attendance, 20 per cent are young MPs under 45 years of age and 33 per cent are women.

Other EAC Speakers and Parliamentarians are also in attendance.  The Republic of Kenya is led by the Speaker of the Senate, Rt Hon Kenneth Lusaka. Rt Hon Nyabenda Pascal, Speaker of the Burundi National Assembly leads his delegation as Rt Hon Job Ndugai, Speaker of Parliament of Tanzania leads legislators from the Parliament of Tanzania. Delegations from the Parliament of Uganda, Parliament of Rwanda and the Transitional National Legislative Assembly of the Republic of South Sudan are also in attendance. 

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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 Commemorates 25 Years of the Genocide against the Tutsi

  1. The Commemoration event took place at the EAC headquarters on 7th April, 2019 and was attended by 400 people largely students from nearby secondary schools and universities, Staff from EAC and United Nations International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (UN IRMCT) members of Rwanda Community in Arusha- Moshi and friends of Rwanda;

  2. The Commemoration event was preceded by a Walk to remember and laying of wreaths on the Commemoration monument at the EAC gardens.

  3. The Longido District Commissioner, Mr. Frank Mwesumbe who represented the government of United Republic of Tanzanian stressed that it is the duty of everyone in the world in our various capacities, to spare no efforts in fighting against genocide ideology in all ways of its manifestation. He emphasized the importance of actively involving the youth in all affairs as they constitute a big population and equipping them with necessary skills needed to develop their countries but also educating them about the dangers of harboring such ill motives and backward destructive ideologies like genocide ideology, revisionism and divisionism.

  4. The main discussant Hon. Fred Mukasa Mbidde, member of East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) from Uganda presented about the role of politicians in curbing genocide ideology and ensuring peaceful co-existence in which he highlighted the misdeeds of the genocide government and commended the current government of Rwanda led by H.E Paul Kagame for the many economic miracles, recovery and harmonious living amongst Rwandans. He said that as EAC commemorate the genocide against the Tutsi the region should be happy for what Rwanda has achieved so far especially for turning around the country where its mention in any international sphere is equated to growth, peace, development and visionary leadership. He emphasized that solving genocide is also equal to solving state of affairs by putting everything to do with politics of exclusion and ethno classes out of our political equation. Thus, Rwanda should take credit for what they have achieved in their response to genocide. He further strongly called on EAC Partner States to support Rwanda’s bid to restoring Peace and stability by prosecuting or extraditing a huge number of genocide perpetrators reported to be hiding in the EAC region. He emphasized that in the EAC oneness, EAC Partner States should be happy of what their neighbor nations in the region are doing rather than masterminding wars and creating unnecessary insecurity blunders in an effort to destabilize the other nations and thus fomenting genocidal conducive environment. He concluded by strongly recommending that EAC Partner States should swallow their pride and agree to establish a protective wall against anything that might lead to genocide happening again anywhere in the EAC region.

  5. On his part, Hon. Christophe Bazivamo who represented the EAC Secretary General reminded the audience that it was at this time of the year in 1994 that the world witnessed the beginning of one of the most horrible atrocities in the Human history. He said that in only 100 days over a million of innocent men and women lost their lives as the world watched in total inactivity. Yet, we all know that we are all created equal and have the right to life and that no one has a right to take another person's life. He however added that though Rwanda has made tremendous strides to rebuild the societal fabric and create pragmatic pace for healing where the impossible became possible and the unexpected became reality, Rwanda has yet fully recovered from this barbaric act. He reminded the audience that the commemoration by EAC Secretariat call for the region to keep on supporting Rwanda on its path to total healing and also at the same time care about genocide and fight against its ideology because what happened in Rwanda in 1994 and its consequences can happen anyway in the EAC Community if people do not stand and vehemently own the fight against it together as one people working for one destiny. He recalled the chronology followed by EAC to directly own the commemoration processes at regional level. EAC recognized the genocide as a crime against humanity and erected a monument in the EAC gardens and set April 7th every year in the calendar as a special day for commemoration of the genocide against the Tutsi. Currently, EAC is considering possibilities for setting the day as an EAC day for commemoration and setting aside a budget in the EAC annual budgets.

  6. Ms. Tembile who represented UN IRMCT recalled the importance of commemoration to reaffirm the commitment to stop and prevent genocide. She said that the International community salute and recognize the courage of those who stopped the genocide and provided immediate support to genocide survivors. She further noted that the International Community’s direct contribution came in form of setting up an Intentional Criminal Tribunal Court for Rwanda to bring the genocide perpetrators to book and thus promote rule of law. In addition, the International Community also in unison declared the Genocide against the Tutsi as a crime against humanity and set the 7th April every year as an International Remembrance Day. She however reminded people that out of 300 genocide perpetrators identified in the EAC region and 805 in Africa, only 100 were apprehended and brought to book and faced justice. She ended her remaks by emphasizing on the pending files of three major genocide perpetrators that the Mechanism is looking forward to deal with any time when the fugitives are arrested.

  7. Eng. Daniel Murenzi, the Diaspora Chairman called on members of the Rwandese community in Diaspora to embrace Ndumunyarwanda program as a unifying factor for all Rwandans across the globe, and harness the fight against genocide ideology.

  8. Eng. John Kizito, who represented the Rwanda High Commissioner in Tanzania, recounted how Rwanda government has restored the broken Society fabric in the last 25 years through unity and reconciliation and the invisible hand of the international community in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi and called them all to stand against genocide ideology by responding to indictments, enacting and enforcing laws that fight impunity, Genocide revisionism and denial. He emphasized that this can be possible if done through Young people who constitute a very big force to reckon with in every life aspects.
  9. -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

 

30th Meeting of the Sectoral Council on Cooperation in Defence underway in Arusha

East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 4th April, 2019: The 30th meeting of the East African Community Sectoral Council on Cooperation in Defence is currently underway in Arusha, Tanzania. The Sectoral Council on Cooperation in Defence has been convened pursuant to Article 10 of the EAC Protocol on Cooperation in Defence Affairs.

On the Agenda of the Meeting are various items related to strengthening and widening the regional integration agenda in the Defence sector, namely: the Status of Implementation of Previous Decisions of the Sectoral Council; Reports of the After Action Review for the 11th EAC Armed Forces Field Training Exercise USHIRIKIANO IMARA 2018;  Evaluation of the 11th EAC Armed Forces Field Training Exercise USHIRIKIANO IMARA 2018, and; the Report of the Initial Planning Conference for the 12th EAC Military Games and Cultural Event 2019.

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50 Million African Women Project conducts user training on Digital Platform

East African Community Secretariat, Arusha, Tanzania, 30th March 2019: The 50 Million Speak Project (50MWS) conducted a user training on the Digital Platform from the 25th to 29th March 2019, in Lusaka-Zambia, aimed at providing women with access to information on financial and non-financial services while creating a community of women who will act as peers, advisors and mentors to each other.

The training was organized by the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), which is the Coordinating Regional Community in the implementation of the 50MWS Project.

The objective of the training was to equip the users with the required skills in managing the Platform ahead of the official launch planned in a few months.

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President Kagame calls for ownership of the EAC integration agenda by Partner States

… As Council of Ministers and Heads of EAC Organs and Institutions meet to chart ways to accelerate regional integration.

East African Community Secretariat, 29th March, 2019: The Chairperson of the Summit of East African Community Heads of State, H.E. Paul Kagame, has urged EAC Partner States to urgently address all matters impeding the swift implementation of the various regional integration projects and programmes.

 “There is urgent need to take ownership of this integration agenda, and this includes Partner States remitting our statutory contributions on time,” said President Kagame. “As the African continent is coming together, the EAC has all that is needed and all that it takes to lead this process at the continental level,” he added.

President Kagame was speaking when he officially opened a Strategic Retreat of the EAC Council of Ministers and Heads of EAC Organs and Institutions at the Kigali Convention Center in Kigali, Rwanda. The 29th March, 2019 Retreat is themed: “Renewing our commitment to the objectives of the Community, accelerating our integration agenda.”

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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  |  sgoffice@eachq.org