An East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) Symposium themed: A Decade of Service towards a Political Federation is scheduled to take place on Thursday, June 30, 2011 to Saturday, July 2, 2011 in Arusha.
The forefathers of the EAC, President Yoweri Museveni of the Republic of Uganda and their Excellencies, Al Hajj Ali Hassan Mwinyi, Benjamin William Mkapa and Daniel Arap Moi have been invited to participate in the Symposium.
The event, which is being organized by the EALA as part of the celebrations of its ten years of existence, shall be attended by over 150 participants from the political class, civil society, private sector, academia and youth organisations. The Symposium is designed to provide space where people get together to discuss thoughts and exchange ideas on EALA’s work over the last 10 years, which has been focused on economic integration and the ultimate goal of attaining an East African Political Federation.
The key objectives of the Symposium are to:
1. Take stock of developments since 2001 with a view to capitalise on outcomes of previous stages and documents pertaining to the integration process;
2. Reach consensus with regard to working definitions and principles of Political Federation;
3. To enlarge and consolidate a community of practice among a group of selected experts in the integration process.
According to the programme, the forefathers are expected to grace a Special Session of EALA and deliver papers on the theme: Vision for the EAC, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow. The House Session shall then be suspended by the Speaker, the Rt. Hon. Abdirahin Abdi and reconstituted in to a Symposium to allow for plenary discussions and a public discourse.
Former Secretary General of the EAC, Hon Amanya Mushega shall deliver a keynote address on Catalysing the EAC integration process: A recipe for realization of the Political Federation where panellists shall include the former Secretaries General, Ambassador Francis Muthaura, Ambassador Juma Mwapachu and the present Secretary General of the East African Community, Dr. Richard Sezibera.
The Director of the Makerere Institute of Research, Prof. Mahmood Mamdani, is expected to commence the deliberations on day two by delivering a paper on Political Federation: Expectations and Challenges in a session that shall see the Chairperson of NARC-Kenya, Hon Martha Karua, Prof Shyaka Anastase who chaired Rwanda’s National Consultative Committee on fast tracking the Political Federation and the Chairperson of East African Business Council, Ms. Consolata Ndayishimiye, constitute the panel.
Other papers that shall be presented include Overcoming Perceptions and another on the Roadmap of EALA in the next decade. The panellists during the sessions shall be the honorable Speakers of the national assemblies and representatives from the civil society and media.
It is expected that the Symposium will bring into being establishment of an annual forum which is geared to enable EALA ensure the people centeredness objective. It further hopes to arrive at consensus highlighting main outcomes and commonly agreed strategies on how best to achieve a Political Federation in the long run. The Chairperson of the EAC Summit, President Pierre Nkurunziza of Burundi has been invited to close the Symposium on July 2, 2011.
The Treaty for the establishment for the EAC which was signed on 30 November 1999 and entered in to force on 7 July 2000 has four integrative pillars – the Customs Union, the Common Market, the Monetary Union and ultimately, the Political Federation.
EALA was established as the legislative Organ of the Community under Article 9 of the EAC Treaty with membership from the original three Partner States of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania in November 2001. The Community expanded in July 2007 with the admission of the Republics of Rwanda and Burundi and the new Members from the Partner States took oath in EALA in May 2008.
The mandate of EALA is defined under Article 49 of the Treaty and such include legislation, oversight function and approval of the budget of the Community. A number of activities are planned to showcase EALA during the first decade of operations. They include among others EAC Sports tournaments and tree planting activities as well as a number of networking opportunities enabling the legislators to network and share experiences with the civil society, private sector, academia and the youth.
EALA Speaker, Hon. Abdirahin H. Abdi has noted the celebrations as been key in recognizing progress made by EALA while calling for a time of appraisal of the Assembly’s effectiveness and reflection as it sets the mood for the next decade.
“The celebrations of which the EALA Symposium marks a part of, are thus momentous given the fact that over the years, EALA has successfully established itself in to a strong, effective regional legislature,” Hon Abdi said.
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For more information, contact: 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
