{UAH} EA leaders sign pact to fast track political federation - National - monitor.co.ug

http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/EA+leaders+sign+pact+to+fast+track+political+federation/-/688334/1972332/-/mjny87z/-/index.html

EA leaders sign pact to fast track political federation - National

By Daniel K. Kalinaki & Mathias Ringa
Posted  Thursday, August 29  2013 at  11:33

The Presidents of Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda yesterday signed off on ambitious plans to fast-track the East African political federation, complete key infrastructure projects, and bring Burundi and South Sudan into the new multi-lateral partnership within the community.

Ministers will meet in Kampala next month and agree on a roadmap by September 15 as well prepare a zero draft on the federal constitution by October 15, the Presidents said in a joint communiqué signed yesterday.

"The talks were held in a friendly and warm brotherly atmosphere," the communiqué issued after the meeting in Mombasa noted. "The Heads of State and Government welcomed the participation of the Republic of South Sudan and the Republic of Burundi in the Summit."

The communiqué was issued after a closed-door session involving President Uhuru Kenyatta, President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda and President Paul Kagame of Rwanda. President Pierre Nkurunziza of Burundi and President Salva Kiir of South Sudan were represented in the meeting by their ministers for foreign affairs and works and transport, respectively.

Only hours after jointly launching a new berth at Mombasa Port, the three Presidents said construction of the Mombasa-Nairobi segment of the new standard-gauge railway will start by November and the entire project, to Kampala and Kigali, will be completed by March 2018.

Partner states were also given until October 15 to confirm whether they intend to participate in the proposed joint financing of an oil refinery in Uganda. The Presidents also directed their responsible ministers to report back on progress of the Eldoret – Kampala oil pipeline project and the feasibility study for its extension to Kigali during the third infrastructure summit in October in Kigali, Rwanda.

The meeting followed the first infrastructure summit in June in Entebbe attended by Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda where the three countries agreed to co-fund joint infrastructure projects and reduce the cost of doing business in the region.

Tanzania and Burundi, which are members of the East African Community, were not invited to the Entebbe Summit, which was presented as a trilateral initiative.

Significantly, however, Burundi's participation in yesterday's summit – albeit through a ministerial delegation – suggests Bujumbura's willingness to join the new regional infrastructure initiative.

President Kenyatta said Burundi and South Sudan would be brought on board the new partnership, with the communiqué noting: "Representatives of the Republic of Burundi and the Republic of South Sudan be part and parcel of the projects and incorporated into the technical committees in relevant thematic areas."

The development leaves Tanzania as the only EAC member state not participating in the initiative.

A spokesperson for President Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania said yesterday that Dar es Salaam had not been invited to the summit.

"We were not invited – you need to ask the organisers why they did not invite us," Salva Rweyemamu, said by telephone. "My assumption – and this is only an assumption – is that this was not an EAC summit but a bilateral summit. As far as we are concerned it could not have been an EAC summit."

The presidents also directed officials in the countries present to harmonise tax clearance procedures by the end of October, give an update on plans to use national ID cards as travel documents by mid-October, and report on plans to use a single tourist visa across East Africa at the next summit in Kigali, also in October.

Member states are also expected to sign off on a regional power interconnectivity plan, as well as integrate the South Sudan – Lokichar – Hoima crude oil pipeline into the LAPSSET corridor project by December.

EA leaders sign pact to fast track political federation - National - monitor.co.ug
http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/EA+leaders+sign+pact+to+fast+track+political+federation/-/688334/1972332/-/mjny87z/-/index.html