By Luke Anami in Arusha
ARUSHA, TANZANIA: President Kibaki urged the East African Community to improve its infrastructure – including roads, rail system and energy – to speed up sluggish integration.
Kibaki, who is also the chairman of the EAC Heads of State summit, also called on regional leaders to eliminate Non-Tariff Barriers to realise meaningful development.
“EAC regional trade bloc thrives on the ability of its people to move and work within the region freely. There is a need to accelerate regional infrastructure, especially in energy, roads, railway to improve the lives of our people.”
Kibaki hailed the operationalisation of the EAC Customs Union, Common Market protocol, and the new EAC headquarters as major mail stones in the history of the EAC.
“But these achievement should not hide the fact that more work needs to be done in the EAC integration,” Kibaki, who joined Tanzania President Jakaya Kikwete and Burundi President Pierre Nkurunziza, and other dignitaries to mark the official opening of the new EAC headquarters said.
Kibaki thanked the German government for a grant that saw the construction of the new three-wing building that will house the three arms of the EAC, which include the East African Legislative Assembly, the East African Court of Justice, and the Secretariat.
Three wings
The Sh1.5 billion EAC headquarters complex covers 15,025sqm, made up of three wings of four storeys each.
EAC Secretary General Richard Sezibera said all EAC staff will move to the new headquarters, which has been designed with maximum flexibility in case there’s a need for extension and to adapt to the local climatic conditions.
