EAC talks Common Market, as national insecticide spray campaign is re-launched

Talk of East Africa’s five nation integration into one regional economical community, long a topic for newspaper editorials is beginning to make some progress on the practical front. On trade negotiations currently underway, the five member representatives agreed to curb Kenya’s domination of the 120 million population market in the region. In the new arrangements, goods and services produced by the private sector in the other members will have freer cross boarder movement among the respective EAC countries. This is one of the steps forwarded last week in negotiations in preparations for the region’s entry into a common market; the second stage of the integration process after the Customs unions which also currently being discussed. The EAC collapsed 10 years after its creation in 1977 after Uganda’s industries were swamped by cheaper products easily imported from Kenya, yet Kenya never imported much from Uganda. Other members of the EAC are also concerned that Uganda is currently dominating the education sector where today, 50 percent of the student population in the country is from other members of the EAC. In 2008, the EAC is still facing the same challenge as products from Kenya form the bulk of all consumer goods sold throughout the region. Now trade experts in Nairobi agreed to form a fund to which all members will contribute a buffer resource whereby when one of the weaker economies in the region suffers from trade imbalances as part of the new Common Market, it will be saved by a compensation from the EAC. Problem is that the discussants never clarified which trade imbalance will have interventions, after which stage, and determined by whom! Kenya’s firms will also have a 10 year gap to wait for the construction and reinsurance sectors of the other members of the EAC growing to grow before they are allowed to expend therein. Still talking regional trade, Mombasa port, the most important terminal in East Africa has committed to go fully modern, with the installation of the e-status to the Kenyan coastal seaport. Port authorities here have been busy after beginning 24 hour services only a few days ago, according to James Mulerwa Kenya Ports Authorities boss, it is possible for importers to follow the clearance of their products at the port on-line in the recently launched second phase of the IT-based Kilindini Waterfront System (KWATOS). President Mwai Kibaki only a week ago directed that the port operates 24 hours per day to clear congestion and have a seamless transit system of commercial cargo into the interior. President Paul Kagame has been at the forefront calling upon regional leaders to implement modern and faster services at cross boarder points. Talking health, the National Malaria Control Programme-PNLIP, last week re-launched the controversial insecticide indoor control programme funded by USAID. The campaign to spray ICON inside all houses in the country was launched in December 2007 but suspended in February 2008 abruptly by the ministry of health amid environmental and health concerns, the technical institutions involved quoted a complex misunderstandings between RTI, the US technical firm charged with spraying with national malaria control officials. Indoor-insecticide spraying is one of the malaria control programs adopted last year in addition to the widely used bed nets and a new prescription medicine Coartem. The next spraying campaign will cover Kigali, Kirehe at mosquito prone eastern boarder district and Nyanza in the south. In Eastern Congo, an aeroplane crash reportedly killed 17 humanitarian workers in the past week, the second since the beginning of the year the first having killed about 100 in Goma town. In the same period, another series of gunfire battles erupted between General Laurent Nkunda’s troops and the Congolese army in the conflict prone Eastern region of DRC, in the most recent episode, which lasted three days. The fighting injured soldiers on both sides. Nkunda says he is fighting for the protection of his Banyamelenge tribesmen threatened by elements in the DRC army in collaboration with FDLR, a rebel bandit group composed of individuals suspected to have participated in Rwandan Genocide of 1994. The conflicts in Eastern Congo are the most puzzling issue to security stakeholders in the Great Lakes Region. Also in the news: Italy agreed to compensate Libya in financial terms, the suffering that the African country had undergone while under colonial control by Italy. The deal between Muamar Gaddafi and Silvio Berlusconi will cost Italy US 5bn. Libya was occupied by Italy in 1911 before becoming a colony in the 1930s; it also became the first African country gain independence in 1951. During the week also, a Nigerian man caused a little concern to population and religious experts; the 86 year old Mohamed Bello is legally married to 86 wives and has 170 children, as part of his contribution to the most populous country in Africa. Bello’s case became an issue when he proposed to his 87th potential wife; he has since been forced to divorce 82 of his wives Ends