Week 1 of Legislators’ EAC Tour goes down

…A busy second leg envisaged
East African Legislative Assembly, Arusha, Tanzania: February 18th 2018: Regional legislators are gearing up for the 2nd week of the On-spot assessment in the region – as the mission to assess progress on the institutions, installations and facilities of the bloc continues.

The on-spot assessment which commenced on February 12th 2008 has lined up a number of stakeholder visits and consultations.  As at time of press, the Members touring the Northern Corridor had entered Jinja, Uganda having covered a total of 1,053 Kilometres from Mombasa, Kenya.
The delegation paid a courtesy call on Mombasa Governor Ali Hassan Joho, where the deliberations delved on how to make the port more efficient to strengthen integration.  They further held talks with the Managing Director of the Kenya Ports Authority Catherine Mturi. The delegation then headed to the Holili-Taveta border for a fact-finding mission and into Moshi, Tanzania, before visiting the Namanga One Stop Border Post (OSBP), which is credited with increased flow of movement of persons between the Republic of Kenya and the United Republic of Tanzania. Here, the delegation met with representatives of customs and immigration at the border before proceeding to Nairobi.  The delegation then paid a courtesy call to the Nairobi Governor, H.E Mike Sonko before proceeding by road to the Lake zone.  In Nyamira County, the EALA Members touched base with the Governor, H.E. John O. Nyagarama and then proceeded to visit a water supply and sanitation project in Keroka and the Lake Victoria Basin Commission in Kisumu.  While in the lakeside City, the EALA legislators also called on the Kisumu Governor, H.E. Prof Anyang Nyong’o.

On the Central corridor, the EALA delegation visited and held key talks with the senior officials of the EAC Kiswahili Commission led by the Executive Secretary, Prof Kenneth Simala in Zanzibar where they were briefed on the progress and challenges facing the new institution. They would then proceed to visit the proposed site of the new port project in Mahurubi, Zanzibar. While in Dar es Salaam, the delegation held meetings with various stakeholders before visiting the Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA), the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA), where issues concerning the operations of both institutions were discussed. The Members also visited the Vigwaza weighbridge and Dodoma where they paid a courtesy call on the Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation.
In the coming week, the Members touring the Central Corridor will hold talks with the Minister for EAC Affairs in the Republic of Burundi. They shall also visit the East African Community Science and Technology Commission (EASTECO), the Akanyaru/Kanyaru border and the Rusumo hydroelectric power plant and the Rusumo One Stop Border Post.  On its part, the Norther corridor delegation will detour in to Entebbe to assess progress of the Civil Aviation Safety and Security Oversight Agency as well as the East African Development Bank (EADB) and the Inter-University Council of Eastern Africa (IUCEA) in Kampala.  The delegation then proceeds to the Katuna/Gatuna border before entry into Kigali for the last leg of the tour. The delegation shall visit the Ministry in charge of EAC Affairs and the East African Science and Technology Commission (EASTECO).

Both sides are then expected to converge in Kigali to synthesize the findings and for wrap-up of the two-week tour.
The on-going tour is by EALA aims to assist to appreciate the operations of EAC Institutions and Authorities/Agencies that provide services, create awareness among the Members on the gains and challenges of integration. The tour also intends to inform the citizens of East Africa on the role of EALA in the integration process and for us to receive requisite feedback and recommendations from the citizens on their perception of the integration efforts so far. Such efforts will inform our mode of work and better equip us to legislate and to provide oversight.

-Ends-



For more Information, contact:

Mr. Bobi Odiko,

Senior Public Relations Officer;

East African Legislative Assembly;

Tel: +255-27-2508240 Cell: +255 787 870945+254-733-718036;

Email:   bodiko@eachq.org  

Web: https://www.eala.org,

Arusha, Tanzania