A meeting of senior officials from Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi to fast track the East African Political federation yesterday opened in Kampala. The senior officials’ meeting is a follow-up to the Summit that was held at the close of August by the Presidents of Rwanda, Kenya, and Uganda in Mombasa, Kenya. The summit was also attended by the South Sudan Foreign Affairs minister as well as the Burundi minister of Public Works and equipment. Prof. Anastase Shyaka, the Chief Executive Officer of the Rwanda Governance Board (RGB) who attended yesterday’s meeting said it was a follow up on one of the directives from the Presidents’ meetings held in June this year in Entebbe, Uganda. “We are looking at issues regarding the foundation of a political federation for East Africa and the roadmap to building it,” Prof. Shyaka said. Local Government Minister, James Musoni is expected in Kampala today to attend the ministerial meeting that will consider decisions taken at the meeting of the senior officials. At the inaugural Heads of State trilateral meeting in Entebbe, Uganda was given the responsibility of spearheading the political federation, oil refinery, and railway while Rwanda was given the responsibility of spearheading the introduction of East Africa Identity cards, single tourism visa and single customs territory. Kenya was given the responsibility of spearheading the oil pipeline and electricity. The Mombasa meeting reviewed progress of implementation of the decisions, two months earlier, on the deeper regional integration. James Mugume, Uganda’s Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that there is need for open discussion to provide concrete proposals for implementation of the federation.
