NAIROBI, Kenya, Apr 4 – East Africa Legislative Assembly (EALA) Members of Parliament drawn from the country are set to hold a weeklong sensitization program in an exercise that will be conducted in all six partner states concurrently.
The event is aimed at enhancing the role of stakeholders in the implementation of the Protocol on the Establishment of the East African Community (EAC) Common Market.
“Therefore, strengthening the Common Market at this point in time is critical to reverse the negative gains, spur development and to direct economic development and trickle-down effect for the EAC,” stated Kennedy Musyoka, an EALA MP.
The sensitization for stakeholders across the East African countries has been termed as timely as it follows the entry of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) into the Community last week at the 19th Extraordinary Summit of the EAC Heads of State chaired by President Uhuru Kenyatta.
“Kenya stands to gain a great deal from this new development, and this sensitization programme of EALA shall among other areas, spur the much-needed impetus for stakeholders to think beyond Kenya and therefore, to reap and maximise the benefits from the integration process,” Musyoka stated.
The DRC last week became the seventh country to join the East African Community. The 90 million people in the DRC will be able to move freely and do business in six other African countries.
Key issues that EAC needs addressed with speed include the uptake of the Common Market Protocol which EALA is said to be committed in tackling the challenges head-on.
In some states, the slow adoption/ratification of EAC laws and backtracking on commitments agreed has been attributed to national laws and the systemic enforcement of stringent and ambiguous regulation/legislation.
“The Non-Tariff Barriers, and the slow uptake of the EAC agenda in the national policy networks – similarly slow down the implementation of the Common Market Protocol,” said Musyoka.
