Many ‘unaware’ of EAC programmes

Bujumbura. The secretary general of the East African Community (EAC), Amb. Liberat Mfumukeko, reiterated here over the weekend that programmes undertaken by the community remain largely unknown to some people. “One of the critical challenges facing the community is lack of awareness on the integration processes,” he said.

He noted that significant achievements made including increased intra-regional trade volumes and infrastructure development could be taken for granted.

Water supply and sanitation and harmonisation of education systems and curricula are among the successful programmes undertaken by the EAC “yet most East Africans do not link these achievements to the community.”

Amb. Mfumukeko made the remarks when addressing a sensitisation forum for the Burundi-based media to update them on the regional integration processes.

He said despite many challenges, the EAC bloc has great potential for growth, citing economic resources the region is endowed with. He said the region was currently implementing infrastructure projects worth $450 million, which would boost regional trade.

Projects in hand include navigational safety on Lake Victoria and inter-modal transport on and around Lake Tanganyika.

He added that landlocked EAC partner states such as Burundi, Rwanda and Uganda were set to benefit from cargo clearing centres being set up in Tanzania.

However, he insisted that the people of East Africa need technological skills and innovations to propel the region into prosperity. The bloc of six-member countries currently has a population of 170 million people, a combined Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of $155 billion and per capita income of a meagre $900. Speaking at the forum, the Registrar of the East African Court of Justice (EACJ), Mr Yufnalis Okubo also admitted that many East Africans were unaware of the operations of the regional court.

To the contrary, he said, the Court has played a crucial role in dispensing justice to aggrieved East Africans

Most of the cases that had been handled revolved around violations on good governance principles, the rule of law, observance of human rights and social justice.

Dr. Saidi Kibeya, the deputy executive secretary of the East African Science and Technology Commission (Easteco) stressed the need for EA states to promote science, technology and innovation (STI) for economic growth.

“Governments,academic and research institutions should work with the private sector to transform innovations into products and services”, he told the forum.