Zephania Ubwani
27 November 2004
Arusha — Kenya is to join Uganda and Tanzania in a federal superstate - and the date for the union has been set as January 2010.
The Big Three East African countries will keep their own identities with national Parliaments, Presidents and flags.
But they will share a federal Parliament and Cabinet, a chief justice and supreme court, and a superstate President, who will be chosen from the three countries by rotation.
Seats in the federal Parliament will be shared out on the basis of representation in the home countries and will therefore echo the power of each party in the individual states.
The date of 2010 was agreed yesterday by the three East African presidents, who endorsed a timetable put forward by experts charged with fast-tracking regional reforms.
Their proposals were endorsed by President Kibaki, Tanzania's President Benjamin Mkapa and Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni in the northern Tanzanian town of Arusha.
Welcoming the announcement, President Kibaki said: "It is my desire that East African integration be achieved in my lifetime. Our people are ready to embrace the federation because of its benefits and would welcome this move even before the 2010 calendar set out by the fast-tracking committee."
The President said the timetable was "a great honour to the founding fathers of East Africa who had a vision for the prosperity of the region".
He went on: "Mwalimu Nyerere and Jomo Kenyatta had a vision to unite all East Africans and today we have the opportunity to embrace the ideals of East Africa".
The fast-tracking team, led by Attorney General Amos Wako, worked out how to speed up the start of the East African federation for the Heads of State's sixth summit.
A Press statement issued after the summit - also attended by Burundi President Dometien Ndayizeye and Rwanda prime minister Bernard Makuza - said the team had presented "a realistic plan of implementation".
Giving the timetable during his speech at the Simba Plenary Hall of the Arusha International Conference Centre, Mr Wako said the three presidents will hold an extraordinary summit in March next year to discuss the report and decide the way forward.
Immediately after that a campaign will be launched to sell the idea of political federation to the people of East Africa - emphasising its benefits.
Continuing with the countdown to federation, Mr Wako said that by January 2005:
- Holders of East African passports should be exempted from immigration requirements within East Africa;
- The three countries should publish identification documents acceptable to them, which will be recognised at common borders to allow free movement of their citizens;
- Administrative structures should be in place to let citizens living along common borders to move freely across them;
- Clearing channels should be set up at borders and entry points for citizens of the three countries; and
- Fishing in Lake Victoria should take place without undue restrictions according to national boundaries but should take into account the environment and sustainability of the lake.
By July 2005, entry permits and work permits for citizens of three states should be standardised.
By August 2005, East Africa should be a single air space which should reduce air fares and travel time within East Africa.
A constitutional commission should be appointed in July 2005 to make a draft of a new federal constitution, which should be ready by December 2007.
Meanwhile, by December 2006, there should be East African identity cards for all citizens of the three countries.
Then during 2008, Mr Wako said, a constitutional forum of representatives from Parliaments of the partner states and members of the East African Legislative Assembly should debate and approve the constitution.
Then the Federation of East Africa will be launched in January 2010, with a federal president and Cabinet, members of the federal Parliament and the chief justice and judges of the Federal Supreme Court sworn into office.
From 2010 to 2012 will be a period of consolidation, with an electoral commission and other bodies provided for under the federal constitution be put in place. Federal constituencies would also be marked out.
Finally, between January and March 2013, the first elections for a new federal president and federal Parliament should take place.
Mr Wako said that to speed up the start of federation, the team made several other recommendations, including the restructuring the EAC Secretariat which is currently short of both money and people.
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