Rwanda is expected to submit a final report on national consultations regarding the regional integration and political federation in October 6-7) during a review meeting that will take place in Burundi’s capital, Bujumbura.

This was disclosed in an interview with The New Times by Ms. Beatrice Kiraso, the EAC Deputy Secretary General in charge of fast tracking the political federation.

The process, that commenced early this year in March, is directed at sensitising people about integration and seeking their views towards establishment of a political federation as the ultimate goal of the integration process.

"What we discovered during the mid-term review was that actually Rwanda had done a lot and put all the necessary structures in place,  while Burundi on the other hand had problems arising out of their security issues and instability and did not begin the process.

Rwanda, however, requested for more time due to the upcoming elections in September,” Kiraso explained.

Initially, it had been envisaged by the EAC  Secretariat that the consultation process in Rwanda and Burundi would take a shorter time (four months ) compared to the six spent in the original partner states of Kenya ,Uganda and Tanzania in 2007.

According to the mid-term review process that was done in July, Rwanda’s fast tracking process is on course.

"Burundi has also embarked on the process now and we expect to receive the final report s from both countries in October. The next step will be working out submission of reports because we have to take into consideration the internal mechanisms like parliament or cabinet before the final report is submitted to the EAC Secretariat,” Kiraso explained.

She also noted that the final reports submitted by the two countries would be summarized by the secretariat before submission to the Heads of State summit due November this year in Kigali.

According to the treaty establishing the EAC signed on 30th November 1999, political federation is to be preceded by three stages: the Customs Union, the Common Market and Monetary Union.

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