EAC Leaders Consider a Political Federation

(APA)--The heads of state of the East African Community (EAC) are on Wednesday expected to discuss the report on the national consultations on the fast-tracking of the East African federation. The national consultations include those carried out in Rwanda and Burundi.

According to a source close to the Rwanda report, Rwandans supported the political federation and its fast tracking but preferred that the whole integration agenda should be followed gradually. The Rwandans prefer a customs union, common market, monitory union and finally political federation.

According to a press statement from the EAC secretariat, the summit will also discuss the progress report on the common market protocol and is expected to come up with a joint position on the proposed African Union Government. Uganda’s principal judge, Justice James Ogoola will be sworn in at the summit as a judge of the East African Court of Justice.

Rwandan President Paul Kagame, the current chairperson of the summit, arrived in Arusha on Tuesday evening to join presidents Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania, Pierre Nkurunzinza of Burundi, Mwai Kibaki of Kenya and Yoweri Kaguta Museveni of Uganda. The presidents witnessed the launch of the 240-km Arusha-Namanga-Athi River highway that links Arusha to Nairobi. Kagame hailed the project as signifying an important milestone in the EAC political integration agenda.

The $156 million road reconstruction and upgrading is the first major project to be implemented under the East African Road Project initiated in 1998. It is financed by the African Development Bank and the Japan International Cooperation Agency.

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