Yoweri Museveni commends President Uhuru Kenyatta for his commitment to EAC

President Uhuru Kenyatta speaks during the EAC summit in Kampala, Uganda. (Photo:PSCU)

By James Mwambai

Kampala, Uganda: Uganda President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has commended President Uhuru Kenyatta for his political goodwill to the EAC which has  improved intra-trade.

President Museveni was speaking when he handed over the EAC chairmanship to President Kenyatta.

He said through political goodwill, the time taken to move goods from the port of Mombasa to Kampala has reduced to three days from the previous 18 days.

The Ugandan leader also said time for the movement of cargo from the same port to Rwanda has also reduced from 24 days to four days not due to the Kenya Government’s commitment to enhanced intra-trade between the EAC countries.

He cautioned that Africa faces contempt and danger to its sovereignty from the Western world and integration is the only option.

He expressed gratitude to Kenyans for launching a renewed resistance movement against imperialism and hegemonism by the way they voted in defiance against arrogant meddling in their internal affairs.

“The way the Kenyan people voted last March was the second but peaceful Mau-mau resistance,” he said.

President Museveni said there is now heightened awareness among sections of freedom fighters in Africa that disdain and threat to their sovereignty requires a strategic and immediate response which has been long overdue.

The Uganda president urged his EAC counterparts to hasten the process of integration; saying at the moment there is renewed vigour to achieve political federation among its citizens.

The 15th Ordinary Summit of Heads of State ended later in the afternoon with a communiqué which underlined the progress achieved so far in the integration process.

At the summit, Dr. Emmanuel Ugirashebuja of Rwanda was appointed Judge of the East African Court of Justice ( Appelate Division) and Lady Justice Monica Mugenyi from Uganda appointed Judge of the east African Court of Justice ( First Instance Division). Justice Isaac Lenaola from Kenya was appointed deputy principal judge of the same court.

The Summit also received the progress report on the negotiations for the admission of the Republic of South Sudan and Somalia into the East Africa Community.

In its communiqué read by the Secretary General Dr. Richard Sezibera, the Summit asked its partner states to conclude the ratification process of the East Africa Monetary Union by July 2014.

The summit also directed that the internationalized new generation East African Passport be launched by November 2015.

The summit also discussed the prevailing security situation in the region and the need for concerted efforts towards combating terrorism and negative forces in the region and reaffirmed its commitment to peace and security.

-PSCU