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EAC states divided over who will host science commission

Saturday February 12 2011
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The flags of the member-states of the East African Community. Members are yet to agree on the location of the new commission. Photo/FILE

East African Community partner states are locked in yet another dispute over the location of key institutions under the bloc, even before they can quell the ongoing succession battle on the position of secretary general.

Sources in the EAC secretariat say decisions on where to locate some of the newly-created institutions are yet to be made, as members states are divided on who should host the institutions.

The latest contention is on which country to host the Science and Technology Commission.

A senior official of the Community told The EastAfrican the would-be location of the Science and Technology Commission has particularly proved difficult because two member states were neck-to-neck contesting to host it.

“This has clearly made us revisit the criteria for the hosting of these institutions,” he said.

Even before they can agree on the institution, Burundi has supported Rwanda’s bid to choose a successor to EAC Secretary General Juma Mwapachu whose position falls vacant in April.

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This has deepened the succession row that analysts said is a reflection of the hurdles EAC nations will have to encounter in achieving full integration.

President Mwai Kibaki and his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame met a fortnight ago over the position.

Still hanging

Another EAC institution yet to get a host is the EA Kiswahili Commission which, like the Science and Technology Commission, falls under the EAC Sectoral Council on Education, Science and Technology, Culture and Sports.

However, insiders at the Arusha-based secretariat were quick to say the location of the Kiswahili body may be over after Tanzania applied to host it in Zanzibar.

It could not be established which of the two EAC member states were contesting to host the regional Science and Technology Commission although indications point to Kenya, Rwanda and possibly Tanzania.

The matter had dragged for some time and in September 2009 forced the EAC Council of Ministers to intervene.

Reports say due to the impasse, the Council directed the Secretariat to prepare terms “for a comprehensive analysis on how best the Community will address the issue of equitable distribution of benefits and present the same to the partner states.”

According to EAC sources, the Secretariat finalised the draft terms and forwarded them to the partner states.

However, to date only Burundi and Uganda are said to have submitted their comments. 

The EAC official from the Education, Science and Technology, Culture and Sports Sectoral Council told The EastAfrican that a decision on where to locate the organ would be known after the member states agree on the terms of distribution of its facilities.

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