Local News

EAC chief roots for political federation

THE EAC Secretary-General Dr Richard Sezibera.

POLITICAL federation of the East African Community (EAC) is crucial for the region’s stability and integration, EAC Secretary-General Dr Richard Sezibera has said.

The EAC secretariat boss said this at a farewell party organized in Arusha for Deputy EAC Secretary-General in Charge of Political Federation Ms Beatrice Kiraso.

Ms Kiraso has left the EAC to become the head of the UN Economic Mission for Eastern and Southern Africa in Lusaka, Zambia. “Political Federation is the penicillin for the East African Community’s stability and deeper integration; I thank Madam Kiraso for making us swallow it in manageable dozes,” Dr Sezibera told EAC staff and invited guests at the farewell party on April 29.

He said that during Kiraso’s six-year term of service at the EAC, she had put in place a very strong foundation for the region’s political federation. Ms Kiraso said she was happy that some of the issues which were considered taboo to talk about when she took office six years ago were now being discussed openly by the East African citizens.

“It was taboo to speak about corruption, good governance and political federation but it’s no longer the case; I hope the good governance protocol will be signed one day,” Ms Kiraso said. The Ugandan politician thanked all the EAC staff and management for the support accorded to her during her tenure of office.

As a tribute to her contribution, the EAC secretariat will soon publish a 450-page book on the EAC’s path to political integration. The book contains special tributes to Ms Kiraso by renowned personalities, critical academic EA political papers presented at various forums and Kiraso’s opinion on the political federation and regional integration.