The East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) has urged partner states to increase sensitisation on the East African Community (EAC) integration matters, particularly the Common Market Protocol, to create more awareness of its benefits among regional citizens.

The EALA MPs also called on partner states to adopt a phased implementation of the EAC Common Market by prioritising aspects that carry ‘quick wins’ and deliver immediate multiplier effects during the Tuesday sitting in Arusha, Tanzania.

"This will attract East African Community (EAC) citizens to take advantage of the benefits that will accrue from the common market protocol,” they argued.

MP Shyrose Bhanji from Tanzania said lack of sensitisation is one of the main challenges facing implementation of the protocol. 

"This is not only a recurring problem but looks more like a chronic problem. We need more sensitisation of the public to create awareness in the country. Even EALA members need to be more involved. This shall enable us also to brief Tanzanians and other East Africans,” she said.

Kenya representative, Mumbi Ngaru, said there was a need for a policy to drive awareness drives across the region. 

"The government of Kenya has continued to prioritise sensitisation of its citizens on the EAC matters, but it is important for the council to formulate a policy around sensitisation,” she said.

The EALA MPs were responding to report by the regional affairs and conflict resolution committee on security-related challenges facing implementation of the common market protocol along the Central Corridor. The report was presented to the House by the committee chairman, Hon Abdullah Mwinyi, and follows a field trip by the committee in Tanzania last November.

The committee had told the assembly that implementation of the common market protocol was lagging behind due to numerous challenges, like inadequate awareness among private sector, implementing agencies, and the general public, and on the provisions and implementation of EAC protocol. 

It also noted that delays by the sectoral ministries, departments and agencies to amend national laws relevant to the protocol were affecting the implementation process. 

During the field trip from Dar es Salaam to Vigwaza weighbridge and roadblocks, the EALA MPs interacted with various stakeholders, including officials of the Tanzania Ministries of EAC, that of Labour and Employment, and the Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS), as well as the business community, members of the Tanzania Police Force and the Tanzania Roads Agency officials. 

The field trip aimed at helping the committee understand and appreciate the implementation of the common market protocol along the Central Corridor, as well as the challenges faced in the implementation process. 

During debate of the committee report, Makongoro Nyerere, however, said the various weighbridges along the central corridor were delaying movement of goods. 

"They need to be reduced to spur free movement of goods and people,” he added.

Member states were also urged to modernise their weighbridge technology and scales to ensure enhanced speed and accuracy in weighing process to reduce bribery, and time taken in the weighing process.

Uganda’s Bernard Mulengani said there is need to examine security risks caused by illegal roadblocks, and arrests, noting that EAC should tighten security to deter terrorists from taking advantage of the free movement of people to infiltrate the region. 

Hon Valerie Nyirahabineza decried the constant delays by partner states to amend the national laws to conform to the common market protocol. 

The assembly later adopted the committee report.

Meanwhile, the committee was impressed by Tanzania’s national common market protocol implementation strategy. 

They said the country had strengthened the national monitoring committee for elimination of non-tariff barriers, and commenced on the issuance of the machine readable identifications.

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