SECRETARY GENERAL MOURNS KATEGYA

Says the late was a passionate Advocate of Regional Integration Agenda and a committed Pan Africanist

The Secretary General of the East African Community Amb. Dr. Richard Sezibera has joined Ugandans and the region to mourn the death of Uganda’s first Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of East African Community Affairs of the Republic of Uganda Rt. Hon. Eriya Kategaya that occurred on 2 March 2013 at the Nairobi Hospital.

In a condolence message sent to State House, Kampala this morning, Amb. Sezibera describes the late Eriya Kategaya as an excelled public servant who always carried himself with great dignity and humility and served the cause of Uganda with the same zeal with which he championed the cause of East African unity and development.

“He was one of the major pillars in the democratic process of Uganda and very instrumental in the revival of the East African Community in 1996, the signing of the Treaty for the Establishment of the East African Community in 1999, which entered into force in 2000; and it’s launch in 2001” notes Amb. Sezibera.

The Secretary General recalls, in particular, the late Kategaya’s immense role in the negotiations of the Protocols on the Establishment of the East African Customs Union and the Common Market. “He brought his sharp legal mind to bear on the direction of the negotiations and also while chairing the EAC Council of Ministers during Uganda’s tenures. His contributions were always inspired by a sense of justice and fairness in the determination of the issues of the Community”, asserts the EAC official.  

He also recalls his immense contributions and articulation of issues pertaining to the regional integration and development process on the floor of the East African Legislative Assembly. 

The Secretary General says the late Kategaya was truly an East African and was a passionate advocate of the regional integration agenda and a committed Pan Africanist. “He always urged the Council of Ministers, as well as the regional Legislators, to look at issues from the regional perspective. Indeed, the late was a well-known figure and politician, not only in all the five Partner States, but also within the continent”.

“The late Kategaya was like an elder to the Council of Ministers. Whenever there were deadlocks in the negotiations or meetings, the Council of Ministers would always refer to the late for guidance. And he would always guide his fellow Ministers at such occasions in an impartial manner, at the same time he would strongly urge the five Partner States to move together as a bloc in the integration process” Amb. Sezibera mourns.

“Indeed, he was the current Chair of the EAC Council of Ministers. We mourn the passing of a great son of Uganda and a towering figure of our time who has left an indelible imprint on the modern history of Uganda and the East African region.

Uganda and the Community shall remain indebted to him for his dedicated service in various capacities. His life and his legacy bear witness to his love for his country and the EAC”.

 

 The late 1st Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of The East African Community Affairs of the Republic of Uganda.

Chief Justice of Burundi officially opens EAC Bujumbura Sub-registry

The East African Court of Justice officially launched its last Sub-registry in Bujumbura, Burundi Friday 1 March 2013. The Chief Justice of the Republic of Burundi His Lordship Emmanuel Jenje, who was the Chief Guest, pledged that the Burundi judiciary and government will consistently support EACJ to raise its awareness to promote the integration agenda for mutual benefit of their people.

Hon. Jenje said that, Burundi judicially has always relentlessly offered cooperation to the East African Court of Justice and pointed out the two judges who serve at EACJ while serving at the National Court namely Hon Mr. Justice Laurent Nzosaba EACJ Appellate Division and Hon. 

Mr. Justice Jean Bosco Butasi who serves at the First Instance Division of the Court.” We have never hesitated to release them whenever the need for serving interests of the East African Court of Justice has rise” The Chief Justice asserted.

The Chief Justice expressed his great pleasure to officiate the important occasion of launching the East African Court of Justice Sub-Registry and called upon EACJ and other agencies and institution to sustain this cooperation which will embrace many areas of interest such as training programs for judge and judicial officers which will in particular administer Community laws as EAC Integration deepens.

His Lordship Jenje noted that the Sub-registry will help Burundians who wish to file cases with the East African Court to do so without the various challenges associated with filing cases in another country.  It will no longer just be hearing about ‘‘The Arusha Court’’,they will start actually seeing their “East African Community Court” among them.

The Minister in the Office of the Presidency in charge of EAC Affairs of the Republic of Burundi Hon. Leontine Nzeyimana commended the decision of the EAC Council of Ministers to allow the Court to open the Sub-registries in the Partner States. 

The Council of Ministers took this decision mindful of the fact that our Citizens today demand; that we deliver justice that they deserve; the one that is accessible, affordable, impartial and qualitative. The hope of the Council and the entire Community Is that these Sub-registries will contribute to the noble goals.” noted Hon. Nzeyimana noted.

 She added that the sub-registry will assist those who feel aggrieved by laws or decisions that seem to violate the East African Community Treaty and hence undermine the goals and objectives of integration, and who wish to have a determination of the EACJ and hopefully a remedial decision of the Court.

Hon. Nzeyimana underscored that to have Sub-registries within the Member States is even greater because the role of the regional Court is expanding in response to the Community becoming more People centered and market driven. The operationlization of Common Market Protocol will certainly create more demand of for Judicial Services within the Member States hence the Sub-registries shall cater to a bigger workload enabling the EACJ to function efficiently and effectively.

EACJ Judge President Hon. Harold Nsekela also informed the delegates that several milestones in the Court and development process were been achieved and the Court expect to see and realize more tangible benefits of the integration to our people in the coming years. He also told the Burundi residents that the Court has abolished the Court fees and it’s in the process of gazetting the rules.

Hon. Nsekela also reminded the natural and legal person who come to the Court under Article 30 of the Treaty to respect the time limitation of two months imposed for the aggrieved person have known the act.

The ceremony was witnessed among others the President of the Constitutional Court of Burundi, Hon. Lady Justice Christine Nzeyimana, Judges, and Members of EALA Burundi Chapter, Members of the Legal institutions, Media and other stake holders.

  

Chief Justice His Lordship Emmanuel Jenje (R) EACJ Judge President Hon. Mr. Harold Nsekela (C) and EACJ Deputy Registrar Ms. Geraldine Umugwaneza (L) open Sub-registry in Bujumbura Burundi.