EAC Heads of State Summit resumes tomorrow
Preparations for the 20th Summit of the East African Community (EAC) Heads of State slated for this Friday here are at advanced stage, with an Extra- Ordinary EAC Council of Ministers underway.
The Head, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Department at the EAC Secretariat, Mr Owora Othieno said in a statement that the 38th Extra-Ordinary Council is underway in preparation for the 20th Summit at the Arusha International Conference Centre (AICC), after it was postponed twice for lack of quorum.
He mentioned among the items on the agenda of the 38th Council as reports on the Implementation of Previous Decisions of the Council; Office of the Secretary General; Report on Planning and Infrastructure; Productive and Social Sectors; Political Matters; Customs and Trade; Finance and Administration Matters and Other EAC organs.
Also on the agenda included a report on consideration of the EAC Calendar of Activities for the period January-June 2019.
EAC Secretary General, Ambassador Libérat Mfumukeko said earlier this month that all the member states had confirmed participation, after it was postponed twice following Burundi’s absence.
The Secretary General said that the stage was set for the much awaited Summit, adding that all partner states were willing to participate in the meeting, and are committed to move in the same direction as far as the political integration is concerned.
Ambassador Mfumukeko’s assurance came amid a series of postponement and rescheduling of the summit.
A similar summit failed to take place in November 30 last year, after Burundi put a no-show to the meeting that was supposed to take place at the Arusha International Conference Centre (AICC).
Announcing the postponement of last year’s Summit, the chairman of the EAC Council of Ministers, Dr Kirunda Kivejinja said the decision was reached after the meeting fell short of the prerequisite quorum due to Burundi President Pierre Nkurunziza’s failure to send a representative to the high level meeting.
The East African nation failed to offer any reason to their dodging of the meeting. All countries sent their representatives to Arusha, save for the troubled country and this compelled the Council of Ministers to reschedule the summit to December 27 last year that still failed to take place.
Ambassador Mfumukeko noted that all the EAC member states were working harmoniously in the integration spirit as envisioned in the treaty of the establishment of the community.