EAC top legal team urged to harmonise regional work, residence permit rules

Devolution and Planning Cabinet Secretary Anne Waiguru.

Nairobi; Kenya: The East African Community (EAC) Sectoral Council on Legal and Judicial Affairs has been urged to finalise harmonisation of work and residence permits for citizens of the region.

The 21st meeting of the Sectoral Council of Ministers responsible for EAC Affairs and Planning which has concluded in Kigali, Rwanda noted that failure by EAC Partner States to harmonise national laws with regional integration legislation continues to hinder citizens’ full enjoyment of the benefits of integration.

Kenya’s Devolution and Planning Cabinet Secretary Anne Waiguru, who chaired the meeting, reminded delegates that the people of East Africa were expecting to access tangible benefits out of the investment the Partner States continue to put in the EAC integration process. She said the Sectoral Council needs to ensure the agreed commitments are effectively implemented.

Stakeholders have raised concern that though the EAC Common Market Protocol came into being four years ago to enable the free movement of goods, services and people, member-states have done little since to integrate their markets.

They say failure so far, for instance, to waive work permit requirements for citizens of Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi has hurt market integration by hampering regional movement of labour.

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During the Kigali meeting, the EAC Secretariat was also directed to prioritise outstanding Council decisions and ensure that they are factored in the budget. Among other things, the Sectoral Council approved the revised roadmap for the Institutional Review, to run from October 2014 to April 2015.

EAC Secretariat

According to an EAC Secretariat statement, the meeting was attended by, among others, Tanzania’s Minister of State in the President’s Office (Good Governance), Mr George Mkuchika and Minister in the Office of the President Responsible for EAC Affairs of Burundi Leontine Nzeyimana.

Also present were Rwanda’s Minister for East African Community Rugwabiza Valentine and Uganda’s Minister of State for East African Community Affairs Shem Bagaine.

East African Community Secretary General Dr Richard Sezibera emphasised the role of the Sectoral Council in monitoring and ensuring that the community projects and programmes are carried out in a timely manner for the benefit of the people of East Africa.

On the issue of corruption, the Sectoral Council took note of the initiative the Partner States have undertaken in the fight against the vice and recommended the Sectoral Council on Legal and Judicial Affairs expedite conclusion of the EAC Draft Protocol on Preventing and Combating Corruption by June 2015. The Secretariat reported 69 Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs) were cumulatively resolved whereas 24 such barriers were unresolved and eight were reported as new.

The Sectoral Council approved the road map for the implementation of the EAC video-conferencing project, and directed the Secretariat to develop a comprehensive Operational Manual for the project.

On issues touching on the youth, the Sectoral Council directed the Secretariat to develop guidelines that will ensure participation from a wide range of Universities taking into account the principle of gender balance.