The Citizen (Dar es Salaam)
Zephania Ubwani
14 November 2009
Security will be beefed up in Arusha during the 10th anniversary celebrations of the East African Community on Friday next week. Regional Commissioner Isidore Shirima has urged Arusha residents to cooperate with the police in ensuring tranquility.
He said the celebrations, which kicked off early this week, will attract foreign dignitaries and local officials and that the law enforcers will be deployed at various venues,where important activities will take place.
He added that some roads would be temporarily closed, especially on the climax day, to pave the way for presidential motorcades and related traffic.
The EAC anniversary is taking place at various venues in Arusha but the climax will be staged at the Sheikh Amri Abeid Stadium, where the EAC heads of state will sign the long-awaited Common Market Protocol. The RC said the stadium was being refurbished for the big event.
It is the same place where the EAC Customs Union Protocol was signed in 2004 by presidents of Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda, the original members.
The RC further said that hotels that will be used by foreign delegates have been identified but he could not guarantee non-interuption of electricity.
"We have contacted Tanesco over the matter and we hope they will understand us," he said, adding, however, that most of the hotels and venues to be used had standby generators.
The celebrations are expected to attract over 800 foreign and local delegates. Most of them will be senior officials from the five member states; Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya, Burundi and Rwanda, some of whom already here since early this week for a raft of activities.
The East African Legislative Assembly (Eala) has been meeting in Arusha since Tuesday this week and will continue until November 19.
Beginning Monday there will be a series of meetings of various EAC sectoral councils.
These would be followed by the session of the EAC Council of Ministers, the policy organ of the regional body, which normally endorses or approves matters which are later presented to the heads of state summit for consideration or action.
According to the RC, the five heads of state presidents Jakaya Kikwete, Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, Kenya's Mwai Kibaki, Pierre Nkuruzinza of Burundi and Rwanda's Paul Kagame will arrive here on Thursday, Nov 19 for the celebrations. We urge the residents of Arusha to extend good hospitality to all delegates for the EAC anniversary," Mr Shirima. Most of the activities will, however, take place on Friday.
The day will start with informal consultations by the five presidents at Ngurdoto Mountain Lodge outside Arusha followed around mid day by the summit at the Arusha International Conference Centre.
The heads of states would later proceed a few metres from AICC to officially lay a foundation stone for the new EAC headquarter complex which will be constructed at the cost of Euro 14 million granted by German.
The focus would later be on the Sheikh Amri Abeid Stadium where the EA leaders will deliver speeches to thousands of people expected to turn up before signing the Common Market Protocol, a document that is expected to usher in new trade arrangement in the regional bloc.
Later on the same evening, the eyes will be at the famous Ngurdoto lodge, some 27km east of Arusha, where EAC will throw in a bash party for all the invited delegates. The organisation is spending about $ 1m to stage the celebrations.
Other activities which are taking place to commemorate the day the EAC Treaty was signed 10 years ago are Jua Kali/Nguvu Kazi exhibition, football matches and other competitions as well as a series of workshops and symposia.
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