Kenya has taken over the Chairmanship of the East African Community (EAC) for the next one year, succeeding Uganda. At the ongoing session of senior officials of the 28th meeting of the EAC Council of Ministers in Kampala, Tanzania took over from Burundi as the Rapporteur. Although Rwanda was supposed to take over from Uganda as Chair, the meeting was informed that after consultations, it was agreed that Kenya takes over the Chairmanship of EAC in the next one year. Nathan Gashaija, the Director of Economic, Infrastructure and Productive Sectors Unit in the Ministry of EAC Affairs, is representing Rwanda at the session. The meeting is being conducted through the Co-ordination Committee made up of Permanent Secretaries and will climax with the ministerial session. “One of the important items on the agenda of the meeting is that the Council will approve the East African Monetary Union and this will be followed by the protocol being signed by the Heads of State on 30th November 2013,” Innocent Safari, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of EAC affairs said in an interview yesterday. The East African Monetary Union is the third pillar of the EAC integration and development process after the Common Market Protocol and the Customs Union. The Council of Ministers, which is a decision making policy organ of the Community is considering among others; implementation of previous decisions of the Council; report of the Office of the Secretary General; planning and Infrastructure; social sectors; political, customs and trade matters. In addition, the meeting will consider the report of Finance and Administration Committee; report of the Council to the Summit for the period December 2012 - November 2013, and reports of the EAC Organs and Institutions The EAC Council of Ministers meeting will also prepare for the 15th ordinary summit of EAC Heads of State scheduled for later this month in Kampala, Uganda.
