East African Legislative Assembly, Arusha, Tanzania: 24 April, 2017: EALA late last week commenced on its last leg of sensitisation activities for the Financial Year 2016/17 in the Partner States.
The twelve-day activity which started on April 20th, 2017, is premised on the theme; EAC Integration Agenda: Accessing the Gains. The sensitisation phase hopes to bring EAC citizens up to speed on the overall integration process, promote liaison with EAC National Assemblies and key stakeholders and create awareness among the populace on the gains and challenges of integration. It also seeks to enhance mutual relationships between EALA and the citizens of the region.
Each EALA Chapter shall engage with different stakeholders in-country. The stakeholders include institutions of learning, Member of Parliaments, civil society and private sector representatives, media and the border communities among others. The Ministry responsible for EAC Affairs in each Partner State is coordinating the activity.
This is the third and last sensitization activity to be carried out by the 3rd Assembly before its tenure ends in June 2017. EALA held two other phases of sensitization in the Partner States in April and June 2016 respectively.
The Assembly in August 2016 debated and adopted the sensitization report of the last activity. The Sensitisation report presented by Hon Patricia Hajabakiga, Chair of EALA Rwanda Chapter, was a culmination of outreach and sensitisation activities carried out in the Partner States by the various country Chapters of EALA in June 2016.
EALA’s Sensitisation activities, emanate from the policy guidance by the Summit of EAC Heads of State and the decision by the Assembly’s Commission to reach out to the people of East Africa as part of its mandate on representation, on the one side. On the other, the move is in accordance with EALA’s Strategic Plan (2013-2018) that is based on a people-centered approach.
The Assembly is of the view that the region would totally benefit if the Common Market Protocol is fully embraced. Members have further underscored the importance of sensitisation saying if the citizens are informed, then full integration is bound to be achieved.
The legislators have urged the House to ensure sensitisation is institutionalised in the calendar of activities of EALA and rooted for use of Kiswahili as a key language that bonds and enables citizens of the region to communicate effectively and efficiently.
At the same time, the Assembly has also recommended that the EAC Anthem and the flag should go hand in hand with respective national ones (flags) at all times.
-Ends-
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For more Information, contact:
Mr. 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,
Arusha, Tanzania,
www.eala.org
