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Statement by Hon. Wapakabulo at EA Council of Ministries

It is my great pleasure and honour to welcome you on this auspicious occasion of the 4th Extraordinary Meeting of the Council of Ministers of the East African Community.

On behalf of the Council of Ministers, I extend special warm welcome to Honourable Kalonzo Musyoka, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Kenya who is heading the delegation of the new government of the National Rainbow Coalition (NARC) of Kenya which is attending the Meeting of the Council for the first time.

I would like to convey, through the Minister, to the government and people of Kenya, warm congratulations on the recent peaceful elections and transition in Kenya. We look forward to Kenya’s continued steadfast contribution to the development of the Community for the benefit of all the people of East Africa.

The Community has moved rapidly since the resumption of regional co-operation in East Africa in 1993; and much has been achieved in the past ten years.

The signing of the treaty for the establishment of the East African Community in 1999; establishment of all the major organs and institutions of the Community; the regular launching and implementation of two successive Development Strategies; and initiation of various regional projects, particularly in the infrastructure area, are some of the landmarks in the progress of the Community.

With the expected conclusion of the Protocol on the Establishment of the EAC Customs Union towards the end of this year, a major step will have been taken.

The regional organisation will enter a new more definitive phase of its development. We need now, more than ever before, to sustain the tempo of regional integration by especially involving the people deliberately and deeply in the integration process.

One of the areas in which the Community has been actively involved is in the many studies undertaken in the wide range of sectors in the regional integration process. We are today much enlightened of the tremendous potential which our region holds for development. Our task ahead is to implement these studies and translate the vision of the Community into real benefits to the people.

The interventions of the East African Community should be sharply focused on the rapid delivery on the expectations of the East African people for a vibrant regional economy. The sustainability or viability of the Community is predicated on the impact it bears on the regional economy to stimulate employment and generate wealth, eradicate poverty and, on the whole, uplift the living standards of the people.

It is with this realisation of the important challenge that the regional organisation faces that I would urge Members of the Council to approach the agenda of our deliberations.

The Budget of the Community which we meet to consider here today; and the Report of the Eminent Persons on the Organisational Structure and Terms and Conditions of Service of the Staff of the Community which will be formally submitted to us have critical bearing on the future of the Community.

With our hopes and intentions, we must appreciate clearly the cost implications of investment in our regional organisation. We must never lose sight of the central issue that regional integration involves expenses, massive investments indeed, to undertake. In particular, it needs no emphasis that the quality and level of a highly motivated and well equipped Secretariat and other organs of the Community will be part of the determinants of a successful regional organisation.

As the Council of Ministers, our primary responsibility under the Treaty is to ensure the proper and effective functioning of the regional organisation. To this extent, we should handle the issues before us with a determination to consolidate the gains and further the cause of regional integration and development.

One of the challenges is the high rate at which the Community budget is growing. This is mainly because of the exponentially increasing tasks we continue to charge on the Secretariat and other Organs of the Community. It may be necessary, in the near future, to do more focusing of Community programmes, so that expansion of activities is proportional to available resources by the Partner States. With these remarks, I thank you for your attention and wish our deliberations great success.

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