Dar opposes use of ID cards at borders

nngu007 · 2011-06-19T12:34:27+00:00

The Kenya-Uganda border crossing at Busia. Picture: Jacob Owiti By CHRISTABEL LIGAMI Posted Sunday, June 19 2011 at 12:33 Tanzania has differed with its EAC counterparts over the use of national identity cards as the regions standard travel documents. This could delay the full implementation of the Common Market Protocol, even though Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda and Burundi are in agreement that only the ID should be used to aid the free movement of citizens within the region. But Tanzania feels travellers should also produce passports and other relevant documents. Richard Sindiga, Director of Economic Affairs at Kenyas Ministry of EAC, said if the system is adopted, work permits and passports will be abolished. Mr Sindiga said the use of IDs is part of efforts towards accelerating the integration process. For the system to be effective, all partner states will need to have electronic IDs, said Mr Sindiga. Only Rwanda has electronic national IDs. Also, it is the only other country besides Kenya that issues national identity cards to its nationals. Rwandas Minister of the East African Community Affairs Monique Mukaruliza, says the use of national IDs would be a positive development towards the implementation of the EAC Common Market. In the Common Market Protocol, the right to free movement of persons entails the abolition of any discrimination based on nationality. Hence, all East African citizens can enter the territory of a partner state without a visa, live there without restrictions and be fully protected by the laws of the that country.

Thread starter nngu007
Start date Jun 19, 2011

nngu007

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Dar opposes use of ID cards at borders

nngu007

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