Eala asks region’s presidents to approve border posts Bill

Trucks at Malaba, the border town between Kenya and Uganda. FILE  Nation Media Group

By EDWIN MUTAI

In Summary

• EAC wants the heads of State to urgently assent to a crucial Bill to facilitate efficient movement of goods within the five member states.

The much-touted one-stop border crossings have no legal backing despite one being operational between Rwanda and Uganda.

The East African Community (EAC) now wants the heads of State to urgently assent to a crucial Bill to facilitate efficient movement of goods and services within the five member states.

Members of the Kenya chapter of the East African Legislative Assembly (Eala) said assent to the One-Stop Border Post Bill, 2012, by the five heads of State will force countries to establish and designate one-stop control zones at their border posts.

The Kenyan chapter Whip Peter Mathuki and Saoli ole Nkanae said the new legislation passed in Kigali between April 10 and 17 will result in the establishment of the points. Some 15 common border posts have been designated on the Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania and Burundi borders.

Mr Mathuki said the Bill is intended to ensure faster integration of the region by removing bureaucracies that have in the past hindered achievement of Common Markets and Customs protocols, hampering free movement of goods and labour.
 

(Read: EAC passes law on one-stop border posts)

He said the Bill will simplify and expedite border controls because officers from two countries will work from the same office reducing time spent in clearance.

“The Bill takes cognisance of the fact that article 76 of the Treaty For Establishment of EAC recognises that within the common market, there shall be  free movement of labour, goods, services, capital and the right of establishment,” Mr Mathuki said in Nairobi.

He said Article 10 of the Common Markets Protocol guarantees that partner States provide for free movement of workers from other partner states within their territories.

Mr Mathuki urged the regions president’s to take steps towards full realisation of integration of the community, culminating in a political federation.

“The five presidents recently challenged Eala to ensure that issues of the common market protocol are addressed through legislation. We have passed a new Bill and we expect them to urgently assent to it to become law,” he said.

Chair of EAC heads of States, President Yoweri Museveni on Thursday addressed the regional legislative assembly in Kigali and called on members to resolve some of the existing strategic bottle necks in order to spur integration.