Lawyers want East Africa legal market liberalised

The East Africa Law Society has called for the liberalisation of the regional legal market for lawyers to open law firms across the East Africa Community bloc.

Mr Richard Mugisha, the East Africa Law Society president made the call during the society's 22nd annual general meeting held at Imperial Resort Hotel, Entebbe on Friday.
The cross border legal market, he said, would provide a market of over 120 million which can offer economic incentives of growing large firms operating across the region.

He said East Africa Law Society has reached a mutual recognition agreement that opening the markets is important for the region but have met limited progress from the politicians.
Before the collapse of the East Africa community in 1977, the region's legal market was open. There was also the East Africa Appellate Court which operated in all East African countries. Though the East Community was revived in 1993, the legal market was not opened.

However, there are individual law firms that have begun to take initiatives to develop a cross-border presence for their clients. These are Africa Legal Network, an organisation of six leading law firms in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi. The network, includes Anjarwalla & Khanna from Kenya, MMAKS from Uganda, Ringo & Associates from Tanzania, Musa Dudhia & Company from Zambia, Kamanzi, Ntaganira & Associates from Rwanda, and A&JN Mabushi from Burundi.

Mr Mugisha said the regional lawyers are desirous of protection from foreign firms that have been scooping government contracts. He further noted that most work of high value commercial transactions is done by foreign firms with regional firms undertaking a limited participation.
He said the argument has been that East Africa law firms are small with limited expertise. Mugisha said it may be true but the argument cannot serve the interest of East African Community. According to him, hiring foreign firms worsens balance of trade deficit as governments spends millions of dollars on them.

The ideal situation, he says, is for government to give jobs to local firms which would then choose to partner with foreign firms where necessary.
Mr Mugisha applauded President Museveni for showing a commitment towards the East African integration project. He said the East Africa Law Society is ready to contribute its quarter towards the realisation of the region's integration.
Mr Museveni asked East Africa Law Society to furnish him with documents that he can present to East Africa Community heads of state.