Collecting Rwandans’ views on the EAC political federation starts today

The National Consultative Committee (NCC) on the East African Community (EAC) today begins a one-week survey to gather views of Rwandans on fast tracking of the community’s political federation, the committee’s officials announced yesterday. During a public briefing, NCC officials said that the survey will collect views of at least 3000 people drawn from different social groups in all corners of the country. “We want them [respondents] to feel free and give only answers reflecting their views. We are collecting quantitative information and we want to gather people’s views, not our own views,’ the committee’s Chairman, Prof. Anastase Shyaka said. The survey kicks off following another NCC sensitisation campaign on the EAC which was carried out from May this year in different parts of the country. The campaign was also a way of getting a general picture of how Rwandans perceive different issues on the Community, according to Prof. Shyaka. Apart from giving their views on the fast tracking of the EAC’s political federation, the survey will also have Rwandans expressing their views on issues such as free movement of capital, persons, services, and goods in member countries. The respondents will have to respond to 20 questions on the survey’s questionnaire. Moves to have people in the EAC express their views on the fast tracking of the political federation were started in different member countries after EAC Heads-of-State expressed concern on the slow pace of the integration process towards the community’s political federation. If the people in member countries of the EAC vote for a federal government, they will have to follow the same laws made by a common parliament, have the same government, use the same currency and use the same flag, among other things to be harmonized. Many representatives of Rwanda into the community already have the opinion that the region’s full political integration will bring benefits. They are especially targeting the possibility of member countries joining efforts when dealing with challenges such as globalisation, regional insecurity, and people’s welfare. “I think that 120 million people are in a position to help each other better than nine million people confined in one room,” said Patricia Hajabakiga, one of the nine people representing Rwanda in the EALA. The country’s Minister in charge of the EAC, Monique Mukaruriza, has called on Rwandans to massively participate in the process towards the integration process. “I beg Rwandans to make EAC’s programmes theirs, because they are the beneficiaries of their outcome,” she said. Rwanda joined the EAC last year. The community is made up of five member countries including Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya, and Burundi. A report about Rwandans’ views on the quick creation of the community’s political federation will be released in November this year, according to Prof. Shyaka. So far Ugandans and Kenyans manifested the will for this federation’s fast tracking, while views of many Tanzanians were against its quick formation. Ends