Busingye moves to Arusha for EAC job

High Court president Justice Johnston Busingye will, from July 1, move to Arusha, Tanzania to concentrate on his duties as the Principal Judge of the East African Court of Justice (EACJ).He officially handed over his responsibilities as High Court president to his deputy, Jean Marie Vianney Hitimana, yesterday.Busingye, who had held the position since 2006, will now move to the headquarters of the East African Community (EAC) in Arusha, to serve the remaining year on his five-year mandate as the regional court’s Principal Judge (Head of the Lower Court).The move follows the decision by the Heads of State of the EAC Partner States that the EACJ President and Principal Judge move to Arusha to work as full-time officials.Tomorrow will mark Rwanda and Burundi’s fifth anniversary as members of the East African Community, re-established twelve years ago by the original members Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.Previously, all the EACJ judges worked on an ad hoc basis, which created administrative loopholes and affected the operations of the court, according to officials.Busingye is expected to take up his new full-time job tomorrow.The court, which has been in place for the last 10 years, mainly handles disputes arising from the EAC Treaty either involving partner states, or legal persons. It helps to interpret, apply and ensure compliance with the Treaty.It is hoped that with the court’s leadership operating on a full-time basis, the organ will now ably make its rightful contribution towards the integration process in respect of court work.“It’s an opportunity for Rwanda and EAC to have Justice Busingye in Arusha to use his rich experience and skills in supporting the integration process,” Hitimana said during yesterday’s event at the High Court offices in Kigali.Busingye said: “I thank God who has enabled me to serve my country as the President of the High Court. It has been such a great honour and a privilege to have played a part in the development of our country’s justice sector”.“Our work as judges requires self sacrifice, to have integrity and not to expect any rewards in return,” he said.Currently, each of the EAC member states has two representatives on the EACJ, where Rwanda is represented by Busingye and Supreme Court Judge Rusera Kayitesi. Rusera sits on the EAC Upper Court of Appeals, which is headed by Tanzania’s Justice Harold Reginald Nsekera.

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Busingye moves to Arusha for EAC job