Kibaki calls for fast tracking of EAC integration

Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki yesterday outlined a number of achievements so far realised from the East African Community integration and called for the hastening of the pace of economic intergration.

Delivering a state of the EAC address to East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) members at Parliament yesterday, Mr Kibaki noted that trade in the region had improved tremendously and that the East African people were optimistic about the benefits of the community.

“Over the last 10 years, our community has made tremendous achievements that have facilitated social economic development in all our partner states. For instance, since the launch of the Customs Union and subsequently of the Common Market, regional trade has improved with intra-EAC trade increasing from about $2 billion in 2005 to $4 billion in 2010,” he said yesterday.

In his capacity as the sitting chair of the community, Mr Kibaki also outlined three critical areas that needed immediate attention of the EAC legislators if they were to realise more benefits that included diversifying the economy, growing tourism and information communication and technology, implementing the Common Market Protocol and investing in infrastructure.

“Agriculture is the main economic activity in all the five partner states. The agriculture practised in our region is not mechanised and there are a few agriculture value additions. The need for rapid development demands that we begin focusing and investing in industrialisation, including value addition,” he said.

The Kenyan leader called on the EAC bloc to fully implement the Common Market Protocol to ensure free movement of people, goods, services, capital and rights of residence and establishment.

“The focus in this area should be on ensuring adherence to the commitments in the protocol for the establishment of the Common Market within the set timeframes. We should also fast track the transportation of national laws that contradict the common market spirit to enable its successful implementation,” he said.

The last meeting of the EALA was last year held in Bujumbura. This will be the last sitting of the 5th Session as the term of the current MPs ends on June 4.

“We should also invest in infrastructure development as it is a critical need for industrialisation and the free movement of people. Focus should be put on upgrading and modernising the current rail network with the ambition of extending it to the other parts of the region,” he said.

Power sector
He noted the inadequate power capacity which he said has remained a major problem.
“But plans to build power projects that will serve the region are underway, including the Bujagali power project in Uganda, and a thermal plant at Rukarya in Kenya,” Mr Kibaki said.

On the military action in Somali, the Mr Kibaki said: “Our community’s goal is to help the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia to gain full control of the country and plan for the economy.”

The Speaker of Uganda’s Parliament, Ms Rebecca Kadaga, said yesterday it was a special day for the people of East Africa to host Mr Kibaki in Uganda. “It is my pleasure to host the first foreign president in these chambers during my tenure and someone who left this country as a student many years ago,” Ms Kadaga said.

Dr Kibaki also commended Ms Kadaga’s appointment as Speaker and advised that the next EAC speaker should be a female. Mr Abdirahin H. Abdi, the Speaker of the EALA, said Mr Kibaki should be added on the list of the next President of the EAC Federation.

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