President Nkurunziza launches EALA strategic plan

At the opening of the 2^nd Meeting of the 2^nd Session of the 3^rd Assembly yesterday, President Pierre Nkurunziza also launched the EALA Strategic Plan (2013-2018) in a colourful ceremony at the Burundi National Assembly.  

The President urged the Assembly to re-double its efforts in the next five years as the EAC consolidates on the gains already realized.   The President lauded EALA for anchoring the Strategic Plan on people-centredness and reiterated the need for citizens to be the core and centre stage of the process.

“The main achievements and lessons learnt in the last five years have no doubt played a fundamental role in helping EALA to develop and embrace its strategies for the future. The next five years should thus see the Assembly become more innovative, proactive and focused towards ensuring it remains on the cutting edge of regional integration” he noted.

 The President challenged EALA to rise to the occasion and serve the region more emphatically.

 “The process of formulation and completion of the Strategic Plan by the 3^rd Assembly is therefore only just the beginning.  The real work starts now.  The real test comes in the implementation of the set objectives”, the Head of State said.

 The Speaker of the Assembly, Rt. Hon Margaret Nantongo Zziwa noted that the formulation of the Strategic Plan was an all-inclusive process involving the EALA Commission, Members, staff and other stakeholders.

The Strategic Plan has six main strategic issues were the EALA’s main Administrative Autonomy, Capacity and Efficiency, negotiations for the EAC Pillars of integration and EALA’s Corporate image, institutional status, growth and development.

The other strategic plans are capacity building in regional Parliamentary Practices, effective, sustainable and Results-oriented communication and sensitization on EAC integration and robust and effective Monitoring and Evaluation.

 The Strategic Plan is expected to be financed over the next five years to the tune of over USD 118,000.   The finances shall be sourced from the EAC as well as development partners.

 The formulation of the Strategic Plan which is the second such Plan for the Assembly was supported by the Association of European Parliamentarians for Africa (AWEPA) and the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD).  The WFD has further agreed to support the publication of a pocket friendly and popular version.

 The President goes for a handshake with the EALA Speaker, Rt. Hon Margaret Nantongo Zziwa after the successful launch of the Strategic Plan

Burundi President Nkurunziza opens EALA Plerinary in Bujumbura

The Republic of Burundi’s Head of State, H.E. Pierre Nkurunziza today opened the 2^nd Meeting of the 2^nd Session of the 3^rd East African Legislative Assembly in Bujumbura, Burundi.

President Nkurunziza was emphatic that a time had come to fully embrace the philosophy of ‘One People, One Destiny’ so that the integration agenda becomes fully realized. He called on EALA Members to come up with bankable resolutions that make a difference to the People of the region.

The President noted that the Monetary Union Protocol was on the verge of been signed at the next Summit and further called on the Partner States to accelerate realization of the Political Federation. 

“I do believe that we can accelerate the Political Federation to which the Burundian population and those from other Partner States have overwhelmingly responded positively to”, President Nkurunziza remarked.

The Head of State called for the full and speedy implementation of the Common Market Protocol to enable citizens to enjoy the mutual benefits.  “ We should also ensure the best practices of the Partner States are shared”, he said, noting that Burundi had carried a wide sensitization programme in the entire country.

The President remarked that Burundi was honoured to host EALA once again, noting that - it provided an opportunity for citizens to closely follow up and comprehend on the activities of EALA.

“I want to commend EALA for the decision to rotate the plenaries to enable citizens become more aware of the mandate of the Assembly”, he remarked.

The President hailed the EALA Members for the Community Initiative carried out in Cibitoke District when EALA visited Burundi last year. “The people of Cibitoke have sent me back to request you to visit the stadium which is on the verge of completion. I welcome you for a football time at an appropriate time” he said.

In her welcome remarks, the Speaker of the EALA, Rt. Hon Margaret Nantongo Zziwa noted that the Assembly was taking place at an irreversible time in the regional integration process.  She noted the envisaged entry of the Monetary Union as key in the integration process.

“We are pleased that the Summit shall be signing the Monetary Union, the third tier in the process.  The people of East Africa have patiently waited.  We remain confident that after years and months of complex negotiations and board room trade-ins, the people of East Africa look forward to a single currency”, the Speaker remarked.

The Speaker urged Partner States to review their domestic laws to conform to the commitments and undertakings made in the Common Market Protocol.

“We need to deliver on the promises we made to citizens including the machine readable cards, mobility of workers and harmonization of benefits”, Speaker Zziwa added.    She hailed the Partner States for rolling out the National Implementation Committee in respect to a directive from the EAC Council of Ministers.

The Speaker further noted that the Customs Union had led to significant increase in intra-regional trade. In 2011, intra-regional trade rose by 23% of the total values of exports according to the World Banks’ Doing Business Report of 2012.

Rt. Hon Zziwa shared the scorecard of EALA so far to an attentive audience.  She cited, inter-alia, the passage of 4 key Bills (One Stop Border Post Bill, 2012, EAC Vehicle Load Control Bill, 2012, EAC Appropriation Bill, 2012 and the EAC Public Holidays Bill, 2013), 5 Reports and 8 Resolutions – all key to integration dispensation.

The Speaker of the Burundi National Assembly, Rt. Hon Pie Ntavyohanyuma underscored the need to address cross border crime and terrorism.  “It is important for stakeholders to work together collectively to stem terrorism”, he remarked, while commiserating with the Republic of Kenya following the attack on the Nairobi Westgate Mall.

Rt. Hon Ntavyohanyuma called for closer collaboration between the EALA and the Burundi National Assembly in line with Article 49 of the Treaty for the Establishment of the EAC.

 Moving the vote of thanks, Hon Dan Kidega noted that Burundi had progressed following the leadership of President Nkurunziza.   President Nkurunziza is not only a leader par excellence, but a mediator who has brought Burundi from the precipice of war to a united country.  

He said Burundi had a gallant army that was now serving in Somalia, Chad, Haiti and soon, Mali.  The EALA Member further hailed the health care system which he noted provided free medical healthcare to expectant mothers.

  H.E Pierre Nkurunziza arrives to address EALA at the Bujumbura National Assembly Chambers

Uganda to host International Symposium and Exhibition on Agriculture Development in the EAC

 A 5-day International Symposium and Exhibition on Agricultural Development in the East African Community will be held 4-8 November 2013 at the Serena Hotel in Kampala, Uganda.

The event is being collaboratively organized by the EAC Secretariat, Kilimo Trust, Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA), Uganda’s Ministries of East African Community Affairs (MEACA- Uganda), and that of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF- Uganda).

The theme of the Symposium and Exhibition is Agricultural Development in the EAC: lessons from the past 50 years and prospects for the future. Participants will be engaged in dialogue designed to enhance EAC regional integration in the agricultural sector through five major events: Youth in Agriculture (YiA) Workshop, Technical Symposium, a High Level Executive Roundtable, Exhibitions, and Special Seminars.

The Deputy Secretary General in charge of Productive and Social sectors at the EAC Secretariat Hon. Jesca Eriyo states that “the events of the week are designed to reflect on agriculture during the 50 years since all the EAC Partner States earned independence”.

Adding that “the event is also being held at a time when the continent’s Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) is marking ten years of implementation.  Furthermore, it is only two years away from the target year (2015) for the EAC Partner States to achieve the millennium development goals (MDGs).

Therefore, symposium, the YiA workshop, the seminars and the executive roundtable will provide an opportunity to evaluate progress, lessons, and prospects for the future – in relation to national efforts since independence, the 10 years of CAADP principles, as well as the international programmes driven by the MDGs”. 

“The aim is to articulate an EAC Regional Vision of Agriculture for the future as a modern and vibrant sector that fully takes advantage of the region’s endowment with resources (youthful population, arable land, water and now the realization of oil and gas) coupled with the ever increasing global demand for food and agricultural products” the EAC official affirms..

Participants  will engage the private sector in agriculture including farmers, leaders of farmer organizations and agribusiness players along agricultural value chains; government ministries and departments; national agricultural research organizations; universities, and extension service providers; international and regional development organizations supporting agriculture in the EAC Region; civil society organizations; youth in agriculture among other practitioners in the agricultural sector.

EAC to organize the second edition of the East African Higher Education  Forum

The Inter University Council of East Africa (IUCEA), East African Business Council (EABC), East African Development Bank (EADB) and the East African Community (EAC) are jointly organizing the second edition of the East African Higher Education Forum 2013 slated for 24^th – 26^th October 2013 in Nairobi, Kenya.

Themed: “Bridging the Academia and the Private Sector through Engagement with the Public Sector”, the Forum will bring together higher education managers, researchers, the business community, and policy makers from EAC Partner States to deliberate on the role of universities in fostering regional integration and the development of knowledge-based economies in the East African Community, through forging linkages with the business community.

The main objective of the Forum is to provide a convergence platform for higher education, the business community and the public sector to discuss and strategize on how to develop effective higher education systems in East Africa that would be linked to industry, for the promotion of sustainable socio-economic development and East Africa’s regional integration.

The Forum is expected to establish collaboration between universities and the business community for the region’s sustainable socio-economic development through enhanced industrial performance and investments in higher education and promoting the development of skills and competence-based curricula, building consensus on developing a common higher education area for East Africa, mainstreaming the relevance of university-generated knowledge and human resources for the well being of the general society, and strengthening excellence of universities by developing strategically focused curricula and research.

Relevant institutions in the EAC Partner States, EAC Secretariat, Heads of Higher Education Institutions, national commissions and councils for higher education, and national commissions and councils for science and technology in the Partner States, international organizations, NGOs, academicians, students, and private individuals are expected to attend.

As part of the Forum events, students, academic staff in universities, research institutions as well as the private sector in the region will exhibit their brilliant ideas in business development and strategic innovations. Exhibitors will also show case the practical aspects of their operations, products and achievements as a way of promoting and enhancing academia and private sector partnerships.

The First edition of the East African Higher Education Forum was held 24th – 26th October 2012 in Arusha, Tanzania. At the end of this Forum, resolutions focused on consolidating the IUCEA and EABC partnership by providing sustainability mechanisms. In this regard, EABC and IUCEA developed a medium term plan of action to guide implementation of the resolutions and recommendations, to be undertaken under the auspices of EAC.

Among the items in the plan of action agreed upon was to organize a regional academia and private sector partnership forum and exhibitions on an annual basis, on rotation among the EAC Partner States.

High level negotiation with South Sudan to join the Community is set for 7 - 8 November in Arusha

The Secretary General of the East African Community (EAC) Amb. Dr. Richard Sezibera has disclosed that the meeting of the High Level Negotiations Team with the Republic of South Sudan to join the Community is scheduled to take place 7-8 November 2013 in Arusha, Tanzania to commence its work, and determine its rules of procedure and programme.

At its 27^th Meeting held on 31 August 2013, the EAC Council of Ministers approved the proposed process of handling the negotiations with the Republic of South Sudan to join the East African Community; established a High Level Negotiation Team; directed the Partner States to nominate three (3) Members to the High Level Negotiation Team by 30 September 2013; and directed the Secretariat to thereafter convene a meeting of the High Level Negotiation Team to start the negotiations with the Republic of South Sudan.

A visit of a High Level Mission of the Government of the Republic of South Sudan is also expected at the EAC Headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania in early November 2013.

The Negotiation process is expected to be structured in three (3) phases namely; technical negotiations involving technical experts from the EAC (i.e. the three nominees from each Partner State) and the Republic of South Sudan; second phase will involve Permanent/Principal Secretaries to consider recommendations from the technical phase and recommend to an appropriate Ministerial Negotiations. The third phase will be at the Ministerial level. Each of these phased negotiations will systematically feed into each other.

 EAC in cooperation with GIZ to organize basic training in regional integration for Journalist in Kampala, Uganda

 The East African Community (EAC) Secretariat is organizing a three-day basic training for journalists in the Partner States on regional reporting 25-27 November, 2013, according to the EAC Head of Corporate Communications and Public Affairs, Owora Richard Othieno.

He said the training, which is to heighten public awareness on the activities and programmes of the EAC, is organized in collaboration with the German International Agency (GIZ) is to conduct a basic journalist training on EAC regional integration reporting from 25th to 27th November 2013 in Kampala, Uganda. Twenty selected journalists, four from each Partner State, will attend the three-day special training.

“This training is part of a broader media training intervention to enhance the journalist’s quality and quantity of reporting on the EAC integration agenda and aims at enhancing journalists ‘understanding of the concept of regional integration in general and of the history, organs, institutions and policies of the EAC,’’ said Owora.

Since the programme was initiated in 2011, over 70 media practitioners, editors, script writers and photographers have benefited from the programme.

The training will precede the EAC-EABC Media Summit and Award Gala Dinner on 28 November, 2013 in Kampala. The trained journalists will be offered a rare opportunity to attend the annual Media Summit, EAC Council of Ministers and the Summit of Heads of State and are expected to increase the visibility of the EAC events scheduled in Uganda.

The training, according to the EAC official, is to open to all active journalists in print or electronic media and on line publications.

The training is part of continuous efforts of the EAC Secretariat to enable journalists in the region to share the best practices in disseminating regional integration information and empowering the media to report as accurately and widely as possible as well as increase the pool of trained journalists on the EAC Integration agenda.

The East African Community (EAC) is the regional intergovernmental organization of the Republics of Kenya, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, Republic of Rwanda and Republic of Burundi with its Headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania. 

The EAC's vision is a prosperous, competitive, secure, stable and politically united East Africa; and the Mission is to widen and deepen economic, political, social and culture integration in order to improve the quality of life of the people of East Africa. With a population of over 140 million and growing, the media plays a critical role in communicating EAC and bringing out the news to the world.

While every EAC citizen has the ability to spread the message of East African integration, not all citizens have the luxury the media has: The access to be in regional frontline of happenings. The people of EAC continue to depend on the media’s curiosity, persistence and integrity to communicate the message and spirit of East African integration. As such, the media should continue to enhance the quality and professionalism of reporting.

GIZ In the spirit of partnership, GIZ supports people and societies in developing, transition and industrialized countries in shaping their own futures and improving living conditions. Established on 1 January 2011, it brings together under one roof the long-standing expertise of the Deutscher Entwicklungsdienst (DED) GmbH (German Development Service), the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) GmbH (German Technical Cooperation) and InWEnt – Capacity Building International, Germany.

As a federally owned enterprise, GIZ supports the German Government in achieving its objectives in the field of international cooperation for sustainable development. GIZ is also engaged in international education work around the globe. GIZ operates in more than 130 countries worldwide.

EALA to hold Plenary in Bujumbura next week

President Pierre Nkurunziza of Burundi expected to address..

The East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) is expected to resume business next week by holding its Plenary Session in Bujumbura, Burundi. The Plenary which takes place from October 20^th  2013, through to November 2^nd, 2013 is the Second Meeting of the Second Session of the Third Assembly.
 
President Pierre Nkurunziza is expected to address a Special Sitting on Tuesday, October 22^nd, 2013 at the Burundi National Assembly.

The Assembly will be presided by the Speaker, Rt. Hon (Dr) Margaret Nantongo Zziwa, shall during the two-week period discuss matters of legislative business and the sitting expects to receive and debate reports of the Committees of EALA and pose questions to the Council of Ministers, debate Bills, and adopt Motions and Resolutions.

The Assembly is also expected to hold a meeting with the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) to review the state of conflict matters in the region. 

The East African Legislative Assembly is the Legislative Organ of the East African Community. Its Membership consists of a total of 52, of whom 45 are elected Members (9 from each Partner State) and seven ex-official 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 effected 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 over 50 pieces of legislation.

EAC-GIZ to organize training on Conflict Sensitive Journalism for media practitioners from EAC Partners States

The East African Community (EAC) Secretariat in collaboration with the German International Cooperation Agency (GIZ) has organized training on Conflict Sensitive Journalism for media practitioners from EAC Partner States,  8^th -12^th November, 2013, in Bujumbura, Burundi.

The training is aimed at increasing awareness on conflict sensitive reporting and to nurture media practitioners who are able to contribute to peace-building efforts and resolution mechanisms in the region. The trained journalists  are expected to  act as catalysts among other media practitioners, on raising awareness of conflict sensitive reporting and able to drive the region’s peace and security objective as stipulated in the EAC Treaty.

‘’The training will enhance the capacity of journalists in the EAC countries on reporting on conflict-sensitive topics and related issues,’’ according to EAC Head of Corporate Communications and Public Affairs, Mr Owora Richard Othieno.

He added that the training would be attended by selected 30 journalists and editors. ‘’This is a unique training opportunity for journalists and editors in East Africa,’’ he added.

The training will precede the 2^nd EAC Conference on Peace and Security themed “Promoting a Culture of Dialogue and Tolerance for Conflict Prevention and Peaceful Co- existence” In Bujumbura 13^th - 15^th November, 2013. The trained journalists will be offered an opportunity to attend the conference and are expected to give wide coverage of the event.

The training is part of continuous efforts of the EAC Secretariat to enable journalists in the region to share the best practices and empowering the media to report as accurately and widely as possible in the regional integration process.

In addition, the training will also enable journalists to do networking with their colleagues in the region and as well as create a database of journalists knowledgeable and trained in conflict-sensitive journalism.