THE agenda of an East African federal government, euphemistically sold as an EAC ‘political federation’ was back on agenda at a meeting of the bloc’s council of ministers here.

The agenda is up for discussion by the 26th meeting of the Sectoral Council of Ministers responsible for EAC Affairs and Planning (SCMEACP) at the EAC Headquarters here.

The head of Corporate communications and public affairs, Mr Owora Othieno, revealed this, saying: “The meeting is considering several reports … including the directive by the Summit (Heads of Partner States) … to appoint a team of experts to draft the constitution of EAC Political Confederation.”

Political Federation is considered the ultimate goal of the EAC regional integration, the fourth step after the Customs Union, Common Market and Monetary Union – provided for under Article 5(2) of the treaty establishing the Community itself.

It is also founded on three pillars of common foreign and security policies, good governance and effective implementation of the prior stages of regional integration. So attainment of the political federation is, in itself, a process and not an event.

Though the process has been slow, the EAC heads of state resolved at a special summit held in Nairobi (August 27 to 29, 2004) to examine ways and means of deepening and accelerating the process through a fast-track mechanism.

At the time, the summit meeting set up a committee to fast-track the Community’s political federation, dubbed ‘the Wako Committee’ to carry out wide ranging consultations and finalise its work on the political federation agenda – whose report was subsequently presented to the Summit on November 29, 2004.

As a result of the consultative process, the office of Deputy Secretary-General responsible for Political Federation was established in 2006 to coordinate this process. Since 2004, the EAC has been putting in place initiatives to fast-track political integration.

Summit directives were given national consultations with stakeholders between 2006 and 2008 as well as various studies were undertaken to examine, facilitate and fast-track the process.

In the consultations, it became clear that the East African citizens want to be adequately engaged and to have a say in the decisions and policies pursued by the EAC.

Addressing senior officials on behalf of the EAC Deputy Secretary General in charge of Finance and Administration, Ms Jesca Eriyo, the director of planning at the EAC Secretariat, Mr Wilberforce Mariki, reiterated the critical role of the Sectoral Council in coordinating the regional integration process.

Source: All Africa

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