Search this site

Widen Consultations on EAC Federation

L-R: Presidents Yoweri Museveni, Benjamin Mkapa, and Mwai Kibaki, Dares Salaam, May 30 2005.

At the 3rd extraordinary EAC Summit, May 29-30, 2005 in Dar es Salaam, their Excellencies Presidents Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, Benjamin Mkapa of Tanzania, and Mwai Kibaki of Kenya considered the report of the Committee on Fast Tracking East African Federation. They noted the
positions of the respective partner states on the various recommendations of the report.

During their discussions, the Leaders observed that the principle of political federation is warmly welcomed by the peoples of East Africa. They underscored
the need for each partner state to widen consultations and include all key stakeholders including the general public, parliaments, civil society, academia, religious institutions, and political parties to obtain more views and comments on the best way to go to the political federation stage.

They further observed that a strong federation was only possible if it was owned by the people of East Africa themselves through effective and informed participation from the very beginning of the process up to the end.

The Heads of State reaffirmed their commitment to East African Federation as enshrined in the Treaty for the Establishment of the East African Community. The Summit directed the Council of Ministers to form national consultative mechanisms and collect views from the people of East Africa and report to the Summit the outcome of the consultations in twelve months.

The Presidents agreed that the outcome of wider country consultations be subjected to serious negotiations by the Council of Ministers as was done in the establishment of the East African Community.

The Heads of State also considered the seat of the Lake Victoria Basin Commission, and decided that the Headquarters of the Commission shall be located at Kisumu in Kenya.

Back to Top