EAC deals illegal, says Tanzania

From left, President Uhuru Kenyatta, President Paul Kagame of Rwanda and President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda after holding talks on June 25, 2013. FILE PHOTO |

What you need to know:

  • Mr Justinian said the Kenyan, Rwandan and Ugandan leaders were in contravention of Article 7(1) (e) of the EAC protocol
  • Heads of State from Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda met in Kampala in early July this year and agreed to roll-out several regional infrastructure projects

Dar es Salaam

The row among countries in the East African Community deepened on Monday when Tanzania renounced deals signed by three regional states terming them as illegal.

In a statement issued by the ministry of East African Cooperation, the Tanzanian government also said the ongoing tri-lateral talks among Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda are against the EAC protocol.   

It argues that the deals by Presidents Uhuru Kenyatta, Yoweri Museveni and Paul Kagame should have been endorsed first by all the EAC member countries. (READ: Fears over EAC’s future as Tanzania is sidelined again)

Speaking at a media briefing on Monday, Tanzania’s EAC ministry head of communication Vedastina Justinian said the government’s comments were in response to growing concern that the activities being advanced by the three EAC member countries would isolate Tanzania.                             

“This is notwithstanding the fact that the coalition of the three countries in exclusion of Tanzania and Burundi, is being run under their respective foreign affairs dockets and not through the EAC secretariat,” the official said.

Ms Justinian said the Kenyan, Rwandan and Ugandan leaders were in contravention of Article 7(1) (e) of the EAC protocol.

“Even though this Article allows member countries to enter bi-lateral or Tri-lateral agreements, it is a must that issues under consideration for implementation under this arrangement are fully discussed and agreed upon by all member countries,” read the statement.

Heads of State from Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda met in Kampala in early July this year and agreed to roll-out several regional infrastructure projects in a move that has elicited debate on the future of EAC and specifically the role of Burundi and Tanzania.

POLITICAL FEDERATION

During the Kampala meeting, the three presidents, in what has been christened as the coalition of the willing, also agreed to look into ways of fast-tracking the establishment of a political federation.

Another matter discussed include easing movement of people by use of national identity cards as well as introducing a single tourist visa.

Meetings have also been held to roll out the projects that include a 2,784kms railway line from Mombasa-Kampala-Kigali and an oil pipeline from South Sudan-Kampala-Kenya.