Parliament asks EAC to free budget from donors

From left: Presidents Salva Kiir (South Sudan),Yoweri Museveni (Uganda), Paul Kagame (Rwanda) and Uhuru Kenyatta (Kenya) during an integration project summit in Kigali, Rwanda. FILE 

By EDWIN MUTAI

In Summary

Development partners contribute 60 per cent of the total finances for the operation of the community while partner states contribute 34 per cent.

Parliament wants the East African Community partner States to seek alternative ways of raising money for economic integration amid rising concerns that donor funds could soon run out.

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The National Assembly expressed concern that about 70 per cent of the EAC budget is donor-funded with key projects being implemented “at the mercy of donors who make it impossible for the region to set its own agenda”.

The EAC has presented a budget of Sh10.92 billion for 2014/15 out of which development partners will contribute Sh6.44 billion while the five partner states-Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and Tanzania-will contribute Sh3.69 billion.

Development partners contribute 60 per cent of the total finances for the operation of the community while partner states contribute 34 per cent.

“About 70 per cent of the EAC budget is donor funded…which raises the question of ownership of the EAC agenda,” says a report of the committee on Regional Integration on consideration of the East African Legislative Assembly (Eala).

The over-reliance on donor funds has been raised on several occasions but member States have been reluctant to implement alternatives, it further states.

Internal auditors

The committee, chaired by Meru Women Representative Florence Kajuju, last Thursday tabled its report on Communications, Trade and Investment on the Single Customs Union. According to the report, which is yet to be passed by Parliament, the huge donor funding of EAC integration suggests that donors are driving the activities of the community.

The committee expressed concern about the need for capacity building within Eala so that committees are able to understand regional programmes and projects in order to sensitise the people.

“There is a need for EAC institutions to effectively and efficiently use resources that are allocated to them and for this to happen, internal auditors play an important role,” the committee said.

The committee recommended that partner States be encouraged to remit their contributions in good time so that the institutions can fulfil their roles in a timely manner.