Kadaga sensitises Makerere on EAC integration agenda

On 16^th June 2022, Makerere University welcomed the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of East African Community (EAC) Affairs Rt. Hon. Rebecca Kadaga to her Alma Mater to deliver a Keynote on the EAC Integration Agenda. The Speaker Emeritus of the 9^th and 10^th Parliament of Uganda and distinguished Alumna of the School of Law was received upon arrival by Dr. Helen Nambalirwa Nkabala who represented the Chairperson of Council, Mrs. Lorna Magara and the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe.

Also in attendance were the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of EAC Affairs (MEACA) Mrs. Edith N. Mwanje, Members of Council, Senate and Management, Principals and College Academic Leadership, as well as Professors and the Student Guild.

Originally founded in 1967 by Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania, the EAC was dissolved in 1977. It was revived on 7^th July 2000 after the Treaty for the Establishment of the East African Community came into force. The EAC is made up of six Partner States namely; Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Uganda, and the United Republic of Tanzania. On 29^th March 2022, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) was admitted into the EAC as its seventh member and is expected to be full member by September 2022 after completion of the ratification process.

Rt. Hon. Kadaga in her Keynote address noted that the strategic importance for EAC integration is guided by four factors namely;

1. Creation of a Large Regional Market
2. Strengthening the Security of the Community
3. Enhancing Fraternal Relations
4. Political Unity

Furthermore, she outlined the Customs Union, Common Market, Monetary Union and Political Federation as four pillars of the EAC. She shared that apart from Political Federation, each of the other three pillars has a signed Protocol that provides a framework of cooperation. The Minister nevertheless said that the Partner States are in the final stages of discussing the critical aspects of Political Confederation as a transitional stage of Political Federation.

To date, the following have been achieved in line with the Political Confederation.

1. A regional team of constitutional experts is drafting the EAC Political Confederation Constitution
2. The EAC has continued to Monitor and observe elections in all Partner States
3. National Early Warning Centres have been put in place
4. Women and Youth have been engaged in peace and security initiatives in line with EAC Youth and Gender Policies
5. A major EAC Armed Forces Integrated Field Training Exercise is conducted annually

Rt. Hon. Kadaga concluded by stating that the expanded membership of the EAC will provide a big market that will not only increase Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) but also employment opportunities especially for the for the youth. Additionally, the integration would lead to better management of shared natural resources of Partner States such as Lake Victoria, Mountain Elgon and the Rwenzori Mountains.

Furthermore, the First Deputy Prime Minister noted that integration would lead to adoption of the new Common External Tariff that will increase protection of local industries. Citing the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) Project as an example, she added that integration will help exploit economies of scale and combine resources to invest in transboundary infrastructure. Estimated to cost USD 3.55 billion the 1,443km EACOP Project will ferry crude oil from Kabaale, Hoima in Uganda to the Indian Ocean Port of Tanga in Tanzania.

She concluded by noting that most importantly, integration will give Partner States a bigger voice when negotiating with giants like China, the European Union (EU) and Russia on matters such as mitigating the negative effects climate change.

In her remarks, Dr. Nkabala thanked Rt. Hon. Rebecca Kadaga for commencing her Ministry’s senstisation programme at her alma mater and paid tribute to the leadership of the EAC Partner States for their vision and commitment to integration and federation.

She shared that through her College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS), Makerere University was contributing to the Integration Agenda by training men and women in the armed forces on the implementation of the UN Security Council Resolutions (UNSCR) 1325, 1820 and 2250. UNSCR 1325 urges all actors to increase the participation of women and incorporate gender perspectives in all United Nations peace and security efforts while UNSCR 1820 condemns the use of sexual violence as a tool of war. UNSCR 2250 emphasises the importance of youth as agents of change in the maintenance and promotion of peace and security.

Dr. Nkabala concluded by underlining Makerere University‘s readiness and willingness to undertake a formal agreement with MEACA to carry out research that informs responses to challenges that we are facing as a regional bloc.