By Philip Mwakio

The East African Community (EAC) Secretariat has set up an information resource centre to ease dissemination of information on the regional integration process.

Phyllis Kandie, the chairperson of the EAC council of ministers and cabinet secretary for East African affairs, commerce and tourism, officially launched the centre.

Kandie lauded the Secretariat for achieving the great milestone and emphasised the critical role of the Resource Centre in sensitising the citizens of East Africa.

“Utilisation of information and research data should be used not only to fuel growth and development within the region, but also to spark interest in the EAC integration agenda especially among the youth,” she noted.

She urged the centre to organise and package information on the EAC integration in a way that is both understandable and user-friendly to the people of East Africa to have the intended impact. She applauded development partners, specifically the European Union for their technical and financial support to the centre and assured of the Council of Ministers’ support to further develop the Centre.

Speaking during the event, the EAC Secretary General Richard Sezibera affirmed that digitisation of all EAC information resources would improve accessibility of EAC information, preserve it in a digital format

It would also improve information sharing with EAC organs and institutions, Partner States, consultants, researchers, development partners and the general public, he added.

Dr Sezibera noted that Article 71 of the Treaty for the Establishment of EAC mandates the EAC Secretariat calls for the promotion and dissemination information on the Community to the stakeholders, general public and the international community.

The initiative

“This Resource Centre therefore is part of that initiative”, he stated. Also present was the EAC Principal Librarian and in charge of the Centre Sarah Batuwa.

While guiding guests on a tour of the Centre, Ms Batuwa said the need for a robust library at the EAC Secretariat was identified way back in 1997 when a Communication needs study was conducted.

“Consequently, a library was established and housed on 5th Floor Kilimanjaro wing, AICC Building in 1999,” she said.

Batuwa said the library was moved to the new EAC headquarters in November 2012.