The East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) today resumed business at its Chambers in Arusha, Tanzania and passed three key Resolutions. The Assembly is sitting for its 1st Meeting of the 2nd Session of the 3rd Assembly.
The Resolutions that saw the light of day included a motion urging Partner States to facilitate girls with sanitary pads and hygienic facilities in schools and another paying tribute to the Rotary International for their humanitarian service around the world in general and at the EAC in particular. A third Resolution urging the EAC Partner States to take concerted action to end the massacre of elephants and trafficking of ivory also sailed through.
In a social responsibility move, EALA passed a Resolution urging the region to waive taxes on sanitary pads in the region aimed at enhancing quality, availability and affordability of the pads.The move is further expected to keep girls in school and to ensure their well-being, enhanced dignity and respect of rights.
The motion moved by Hon Dr. Odette Nyiramilimo notes that poor menstrual hygiene in the EAC is an insufficiently acknowledged issue and that poor girls often have no access to the sanitary products.
‘This leads to social trauma and distress especially when occasioned by wearing poor protective clothing during the menses, a move contributing to gender disparities in schools’, the legislator noted.
The Resolution thus urged governments and the private sector to consider making school sanitation facilities more user friendly and to ensure such cubicles have locks. It further wants the Partner States to introduce reproductive health curriculum in schools and to avail sanitary pads and painkillers in all schools ensuring they are distributed whenever necessary. The Resolution further lauds the government of the United Republic of Tanzania and the government of Kenya for abolishing tax on the sanitary pads.
The motion received overwhelming response with contributions from various Members. Hon Abubakar Zein, Hon AbuBakr Ogle, Hon Nancy Abisai and Hon Dr. Martin Nduwimana. Others were Hon Shy-Rose Bhanji and Hon Mukasa Mbidde.
Meanwhile, Rotary International also received a ‘nods up’ from the legislators for promoting humanitarian service around the region and the globe. The motion moved by Hon Mike Sebalu lauded Rotary International, a worldwide organisation of business, professional and community leaders for providing humanitarian service and enhancing goodwill and peace in the globe.
According to Hon Sebalu, as at March 31st, 2013, there were over 1million service minded men and women- Rotarians in over 200 countries - meeting weekly in local areas globally and contributing to economic empowerment initiatives.
Rotary’s focus areas include: water and sanitation, basic education and literacy, peace and conflict as well as maternal and child health, the legislator added. At the same time, Rotary International has committed to eradicating polio around the world putting aside a Strategic endgame plan of USD 5.5 Billion.
During debate, the Members urged the Rotarians to increase coverage of humanitarian services within the EAC and especially in those areas that are in dire need. I look forward to seeing more of Rotary in arid and semi-arid areas such as North-Eastern Kenya, Hon AbuBakr Ogle noted. Others who rose in support of the motion were Hon Dora Byamukama, Hon Mukasa Mbidde and Hon Nancy Abisai. The Chair of the Council of Ministers, Hon Shem Bageine appreciated the work of the charity organisation remarking that they made a significant contribution in reaching out to far flung areas thus supporting government initiatives.
Members further congratulated the District Governor – District 9211 (representing the United Republic of Tanzania and Uganda) – Mr. Emmanuel Katongole, for his drive to increase the membership of rotary clubs in order to widen coverage of services. Mr. Katongole who was in attendance, is the Managing Director of the Quality Chemical Industries Ltd, a regional Kampala based manufacturing powerhouse churning out malaria and anti-retroviral drugs.
Hon AbuBakr Ogle also moved a Resolution calling for a halt to elephant killings and trafficking of ivory. The Resolution noted that investment in wildlife law enforcement was inadequate to deal with emerging threats as a result of increase of criminal cartels. Hon Ogle said the region had a role to play in halting the trade. ‘No African elephant range state is immune to the ongoing killing of elephants to feed ivory demand in the Far East and a workable solution to the crisis is needed, the Resolution said in part.
The Members welcomed the creation of the International Consortium for Combating Wildlife Crime involving the UNEP, Interpol and the World Bank among others and noted the importance of realising the set targets. Rising up in support of the motion was Hon Patricia Hajabakiga, Hon Adam Kimbisa, Hon Joseph Kiangoi, the Counsel to the Community, Hon Wilbert Kaahwa and the Chair of the Council of Ministers, Hon Shem Bageine.
The Resolution thus called on EAC partner States to categorise elephant poaching and ivory traffic as an economic crime and a national and regional crisis.
It is important for the EAC Partner States to co-operate to identify wildlife crime hotspots and conduct coordinated investigations and undertake joint crackdown on corruption. At the same time, the region needs to eliminate any corrupt tendencies that abet poaching of elephants for their ivory.
In this regard, EALA urged the EAC Partner States scale up engagement with regional and global enforcement agencies in order to crack down on key cartels and continue to use the services provided by the International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime (ICCWC) comprising UNODC, CITES, Interpol, WCO, World Bank and Caucus Foundation (ICCF) among others.
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For more Information, contact: Bobi Odiko, Senior Public Relations Officer; East African Legislative Assembly; Tel: +255-27-2508240 Cell: +255 787 870945, +254-733-718036; Email: bodiko@eachq.org Web: https://www.eala.org Arusha, Tanzania
