Presidents Mwai Kibaki (Kenya), Pierre Nkurinzinza (Burundi), Jakaya Kikwete (Tanzania), Yoweri Museveni (Uganda), Paul Kagame (Rwanda) and Amani Abedi (Zanzibar) pose for a group photograph after the 8th Summit of EAC Heads of State at A.I.C.C, Arusha, Tanzania.

The 8th Summit of the East African Community Heads of State under the chairmanship of President Mwai Kibaki has granted full East African Community membership to Burundi and Rwanda.

The summit directed the East African Community Secretariat to work out with the two new member states the smooth operationalization of its membership accession noting that the admission will be effective from 1st July 2007.

Welcoming the member states to the community, President Kibaki said the historic decision to admit the two countries marks the birth of a wider East African Community.

"With regard to the accession of Rwanda and Burundi to the East African Community, for instance, the two countries have satisfied the necessary requirements, and we will now be formalizing their participation as full members." President Kibaki noted.

At the same time President Kibaki observed that the fundamental principle of the East African Community Treaty is that of Sovereign equality.

Commenting on the recent ruling by the East African Court of Justice regarding Kenya 's representatives to the East African Legislative Assembly, President Kibaki said the development of the community has not reached a stage where national sovereignty has been ceded to regional institutions.

"While recognizing and upholding the decision of the court, I nevertheless wish to observe that a fundamental principle of the East African Community Treaty is that of sovereign equality," President Kibaki said.

President Kibaki was addressing the 8th Summit of Heads of State of the EAC at Arusha International Conference Centre.

The President, however, pointed out that the Treaty envisages the growth of greater economic, social and political integration.

In this respect, President Kibaki said each stage in this process will be agreed upon by the Partner States by way of conclusion of relevant protocols.

Accordingly, the President said it is critical that the organs and institutions of the community perform their functions and act within the limits of the powers conferred upon them under the Treaty.

"Doing so, will ensure harmony in the functions and operations of the national and community institutions," the Head of State said.

On the other hand, President Kibaki said any attempt by an institution to exceed the powers granted to it will amount to gross violation of the letter and spirit of the Treaty and serve to undermine the vision of the people of East Africa and the progress being achieved towards full integration.

Stressing the importance of regional integration, President Mwai Kibaki said the East African Community (EAC) should bolster economic growth and raise the standards of living of the East African people.

He welcomed the launching of the 3rd EAC Development Strategy for the period 2006 to 2010, noting that the strategy envisages the consolidation of the EAC Customs Union as well as the process of establishing the Common Market by the target date of 2010.

"As we launch this Strategy, it is necessary to recognize that the establishment of a Customs Union or a Common Market are not ends in themselves," the President said.

The President said the real deliverables within the 3rd Development Strategy relate to the specific regional projects and programmes that will facilitate social, economic and political development.

He said there is need to ensure that all the identified projects are backed up with adequate and reliable funding, adding that the recent launching of the East African Community Partnership Fund provides a suitable avenue for mobilizing resources to underwrite priority regional projects and programmes.

In this regard, President Kibaki said the participation of the private sector in the implementation of the priority projects, especially those involving public-private partnership is most crucial.

"Accordingly, no efforts should be spared in the development of a truly regional market that warmly welcomes cross-border investments and capital movements," President Kibaki said.

He observed that the proposed East African Community Development Fund and the strengthening of the East African Development Bank will further bolster internal capacity for sustainable financing of regional priority projects.

Saying the broad participation of the East African people in decisions relating to the implementation of the EAC Treaty objectives is a critical factor in the success of regional integration, President Kibaki said the East African Community should focus on creating deeper awareness and understanding of the strategic issues involved in East African regional integration.

He, therefore, called the strengthening of the East African Community's marketing function to reach out to the people with clear messages about the East African Community project and the benefits that will accrue to the people.

Noting that last October, the three East African countries simultaneously launched the process of seeking the views of the people of East Africa on political federation, the President said that event marked another important step in democratizing the decision-making process of the East African Community.

"The launch of the process takes the issue of political federation to the people in order to seek their views on the way forward. This is crucial because the people are the owners of the integration process," the President said.

Noting that the East African Community integration process is continuing to gather momentum, President Kibaki said the vibrancy and growth of the community has reached the levels originally envisaged by the founding fathers of the community.

He commended the East African Legislative Assembly for effectively guiding the community in the last five years, saying through a series of innovative measures the first Assembly established effective structures and procedures.

Indeed, President Kibaki said, the Assembly has left a rich legacy which the successor Assembly will find handy in further strengthening the role of the regional Legislature.

"On behalf of the Summit, I wish to commend the Members of the first East African Legislative Assembly for laying a solid foundation for the Community," President Kibaki said.

Similarly, the Head of State noted that the East African Court of Justice has spent the past five years laying down the foundations for its operations as well as capacity building for the Court's judges and staff.

He observed that the East African Court of Justice faces an enormous challenge in entrenching the rule of law and good governance which are important pillars for the success of our Community.

On its part, President Kibaki added, the East African Community Secretariat has continued to play a central role in managing the transition to a more robust action and results-oriented Community.

"I commend the Secretariat for the emphasis it is currently placing on wide collaboration among the institutions of the Community and the broad spectrum of stakeholders," President Kibaki said.

He expressed confidence that the ongoing review of the Secretariat's operations will go a long way in streamlining internal management structures and controls, improving monitoring and evaluation systems and ensuring wider application of a results-oriented management system in the East African Community.

The President further observed that EAC also witnessed much progress at the programme implementation level, saying the most significant is the Customs Union which is now almost two years old.

"While we face a few teething challenges in the implementation of the Customs Union, our resolve to consolidate the Union and make it a firm building block for a common market remains steadfast," the President said.


Other speakers included host President Jakaya Kikwete, President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, Paul Kagame of Rwanda, Pierre Nkurunziza of Burundi and the EAC Secretary-General Juma Mwapachu.