East African Community initiates process to establish political federation

Kenya: East Africa Heads of State will tomorrow appoint a committee of experts to draft a constitution to guide the establishment of a political federation in the region.

The move to appoint the committee with members drawn from the five countries is part of the 30th extra-ordinary meeting of the Council of Ministers report to be presented to the presidents for consideration and approval tomorrow. The meeting will be held at Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC). The Secretary General East African Community (EAC) Secretary General Richard Sezibera said the Heads of State will approve the initiation of a constitution-making process and a road map for the regional bloc political federation.

“Negotiations for the admission of the Republic of South Sudan into the EAC, verification of the application of the Federal Republic of Somalia, progress towards establishment of a one area network for East Africa and implementation of the directive of the summit on extension of jurisdiction of the East African court of justice are priority matters to be discussed,” he said..

President Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania, Pierre Nkurunziza of Burundi, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni of Uganda and Paul Kagame of of Rwanda are expected to join President Uhuru Kenyatta at the 16th Ordinary Summit of the EAC Heads of State.

EAC secretariat

A senior official at the EAC secretariat, who did not want to be quoted as the matter is yet to be discussed by the Presidents, said the proposal to select a committee of experts was agreed during the Kampala meeting held last September. “During tomorrow’s meeting, heads of state will be briefed on the progress to establish a political federation. A key component of the issue is how to appoint experts to be involved in constitution making,” said the official.

The names of the experts are supposed to be ready for presentation to the secretariat by April. A political federation is the fourth step into the implementation of the EAC regional integration. Others are Customs Union, Common Market and Monetary Union.