Ministers from the five member states of the East African Community have signed the Common Market Protocol paving the way for the free movement of goods, labour, services and capital.

However, the Protocol will have to undergo fine-tuning by the attorney-generals of the member states after which it will go to the EAC Council for approval and then for signature by the presidents at the Heads of State Summit on November 20.

The ministerial signing in Kampala came after four days of negotiations that were expected to have ended on September 24, but ended a day later to allow for the ironing out of other pending issues.

The Protocol was signed by Kenya’s Minister for East African Community Amason Kingi, Uganda’s Minister of East African Community Affairs Eriya Ketagaya, Burundi’s Minister for East African Co-operation Hafsa Mossi, Rwanda’s Minister of Justice and Attorney-General Tharcisse Karugarama and the Tanzanian Minister for East African Co-operation Dr Diodorus Kamala.

A day before the signing, the permanent secretaries from the ministries of the East African Community discussed, adopted and signed the draft Protocol that was later endorsed by the ministers.

Those who also signed included line permanent secretaries — Uganda’s Edith Mwanje, Kenya’s David Nalo, Dr Stergomena Tax of Tanzania, Jean Rigi of Burundi and Rwanda’s Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Trade Antoine Ruvebana.

The signing was followed by a one day meeting on Friday of the multi-sectoral council meeting that was attended by the EAC ministers and permanent secretaries who discussed and adopted the draft Protocol before its signing.

Mr Kategaya, who opened the meeting, said the community is at a stage where co-operation has now reached the level of a Common Market with the objective of widening and deepening co-operation in the region.

“East Africans will enjoy free movement of goods, persons, labour, capital, services and the right of establishment and residence under the Common Market,” he said, stressing that in today’s world, there is no country that can go it alone and succeed.

“When the EAC is in place with a population of 120 million people, it will attract investments and the people will enjoy the multiplier effects that will come with it,” Mr Kategaya added.
He warned that East African integration will not be achieved instantly but rathe, “The process grows better and stronger with time.”

Talks on a Common Market in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Burundi and Rwanda had hit a snag when Tanzania opposed proposals relating to land ownership, the right of permanent residency and travel documents.

The current development means that the EAC can now proceed to the next stage of the integration process with the focus on a single market.

No details were available on how the three issues raised by Tanzania had been resolved.

Earlier in September, Tanzania’s prime minister said his country would moderate its objections.

But Alloys Mutabingwa, Deputy Secretary-General in charge of planning and infrastructure said, “Most of the pending issues have been finalised. Members reached a consensus on almost all the provisions of the proposed protocol and in essence came to the end of the negotiations.”

EAC Secretary-General Juma Mwapachu said the signing of the Protocol is expected to stamp out the bureaucracy associated with cross-border business and movement of people.

“Prices of goods and services will drop, and more options will be presented to consumers in the region,” he said.

Uganda’s Minister of State for Trade, Gagawala Wambuzi, who represented the State Minister for Trade Gen Kahinda Otafiire, said the EAC economies will grow stronger with the new development.