The ministers responsible for East African Community affairs are meeting in Zanzibar, Tanzania to discuss the hosting of EAC organs and institutions by Rwanda and Burundi, the newest members of the bloc.

During the seven-day dedicated session, the ministers will also deliberate on the possibility of having an equal number of staff recruited at the EAC organs and institutions among partner states.

The meeting was confirmed yesterday by the Minister for EAC affairs, Monique Mukaruliza.

 "The other three partner states host a number of EAC institutions and organs unlike Rwanda and Burundi. We are going to discuss how these two countries can host some of these institutions and organs,” she added.

The EAC is premised on the principle that citizens from all partner states shall enjoy the same rights to employment opportunities accruing from the integration process.

Rwanda and Burundi joined the EAC bloc in July 2007 and since then, the two countries are yet to host any EAC institution.

However, the development of enabling policies to operationalise this principle requires that partner states, through the Council of Ministers, formulate, implement and periodically review community policies to reflect equitable representation in employment across all organs and institutions of the Community.

During a meeting held in Arusha on 30 November 2010, the council directed the Secretariat to develop a roadmap towards the integration of Burundi and Rwanda in terms of recruitment and hosting of organs and institutions of the Community.

Mukaruliza added that measures to ensure that all citizens of the EAC have access to available job opportunities shall be the cardinal principle underlying the methods and procedures of recruitment.

Some of the EAC institutions include; Lake Victoria Basin Commission, Civil Aviation Safety and Security Oversight Agency (CASSOA), Lake Victoria Fisheries Organization, Inter-University Council for East Africa and East African Development Bank.

The organs are; the Summit, Council of Ministers, Co-ordination Committee, Sectoral Committees, East African Court of Justice, East African Legislative Assembly and the Secretariat.

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