EAC Common Market takes off amid skepticism
By DAILY NEWS Reporters, THE East Africa Community (EAC) Common Market took off on Thursday with some people living near the border towns complaining of harassment and fears of low capacity by the immigration to handle the influx of people moving from one country to another.
A random survey at the Namanga border revealed that there were complaints that Kenyan Police officers were destroying Tanzanian passports found with people travelling into the neighbouring country.
This was among the concerns raised by residents of the Namanga border township while commenting about the common market which went into effect on July 1st. They also alleged that Kenyan authorities would confiscate goods from Tanzanian traders heading to Nairobi.
Mr Dickson Amri, a driver from Dar es Salaam said he was held in custody in Nairobi for three days last week, because the Kenyan police officers who arrested him, refused to recognise the temporary Tanzanian passports, dismissing them as 'merely papers.' They would demand the booklet international passports instead.
"The temporary passports are the same travelling documents that most Kenyans use to cross to Tanzania but nobody tears them here," complained Mr Amri.
A trader based in Namanga border post, Mr Frank Andrea said it was the norm for Kenyan police to arrest Tanzanians who ventured into their side of the border, tear their temporary passports and confiscate whatever goods or trading merchandise they happened to be carrying.
Ms Getruda Julius Sumai who is an insurance agent at the border, said unless the common market addresses the issue of Tanzanians being harassed in Kenya, then it would be of no use to them. She complained that some of her clients' vehicles get impounded once they drive into Kenya, because the authorities there sometimes fail to honour their insurance covers.
From the Kenyan side, Mr Isaack Abrahaman said many people had anticipated that from July 1st, they will be crossing into Tanzania without passports and a few who tried got arrested and wondered why the issue seems to be confusing. He also complained of being harassed by Tanzanian police.
The EAC Secretary General Ambassador Juma Mwapachu said he just had an audience with Kenyan President, Mr Mwai Kibaki regarding the border problems issue and they have agreed to form a special department to deal with the matter.
"There have been issues with our borders not only at Namanga and that is why President Kibaki had suggested we set up an 'Operational and Audit' department which will be given special mandate and be recognised by special laws to go round the borders and address such issues," said Mwapachu.
According to him, the Kenyan president had even placed emphasis on the matter by instructing the EAC Secretary General to forward the matter to the summit of the heads of states for speedy execution.
"And it is not just Mr Kibaki but Ugandan president, Yoweri Museveni had personally told me that he intend to start sacking all officials who seem to impede customs union executions," added Mr Mwapachu.
Efforts to contact Kenyan High Commissioner here, Mr Mutinda Mutiso were unsuccessfully as the envoy wasn't picking up his phone.
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister, Mr Mizengo Pinda, has urged Tanzanians not to feel threatened by the operationalisation of the common market, saying national interests would be firmly safeguarded.
The premier said this during a weekly impromptu question and answer session with MPs that agreements reached and identification of areas of co-operation by the five EAC member states considered the laws of respective countries. He was answering Mr Khalifa Suleiman Khalifa (Gando-CUF), who expressed worries that the common market might see people selling their land haphazardly to foreigners.
Mr Pinda said it was true the common market opened doors in many areas, but a number of issues including land would be governed by the countrys laws. He said according to law, it was illegal to sell land to foreigners without following laid down procedures.
There are also conditions that govern the sale of land to foreigners...this land should be aimed for investment purpose, said Mr Pinda warning that any illegal transaction would be revoked.
The Premier also said that the employment window would not be opened at random and that locals would be given priority in job opportunities that come up. Mr Pinda who was answering a supplementary question by Mr Khalifa, called on employers to ensure they utilised Tanzanian labour force before looking for staff from other EAC countries.
We have a lot of experts here who should be given first priority in any recruitment. We should look for foreigners where it is absolutely necessary...where there is no Tanzanian with the required knowledge, he said.
He was answering the legislator who said in a supplementary question that operationalisation of the common market might also be used by employers to harass local job seekers and employees.
In another development, the immigration department has expressed the need to improve infrastructures in the countrys entry points, in order to cope with the increased volume of people who will be flocking in and out of the country.
Its true the volume and movement of people in and out of the country will be tremendous, thus needing additional resources in terms of human and equipment in order to fasten the clearance processes, said Commissioner for Immigration, Mr Philo Nombo in an interview with the 'Daily News'.
He said since it is the beginning, the immigration department will manage to accommodate the flow of people, but as time goes on there is need to improve the infrastructures in order to work efficiently and effectively.
He said although no much change with regards to the procedures needed for one to cross the border to the other part but since its a new thing, challenges will emerge which need to be addressed immediately.
He added that at this point of time, there will be a need for the immigration department to work hand in hand with other departments, particularly on security matters in order to curb all those people who will either be crossing to either of the countries with intention of committing crimes.
Security issues here matters a lot. But hope all the department concerned are equipped well in order to net all those who will be crossing from one country to another, with the intention of committing crimes or running away after committing crimes in another country, Nombo said.
He said the immigration department will obviously need to be fast in clearing passport documents, but also will have to increase its keenness in the whole process in order to avoid allowing people who do not merit entering the country.
Nationals of East African countries will not require visas to travel to the other EAC member states, but may use valid national passports to travel within the region or use the East African Passport, which was introduced as a travel document to ease border crossing for East Africans.
The East African Passport may be used for travel within the EAC region only. It has a six months multiple entry validity, which is one of the privileges it accords the holder. Certificates of Identity or Inter-state passes, issued by local immigration authorities to citizens who cannot be readily issued with a passport in emergency situations, may be used to travel across the EAC in place of a passport.
The Protocol for the Establishment of the Common Market provides for the use of a machine readable National Identity Card for travel, but only for citizens of Partner States who have accepted among themselves the use of such.
Other documents will include the departure or entry card required to fill such information as name, contact details, purpose and duration of visit, etc, while departing from or entering any EAC Partner State.
The card is obtainable at all ports of entry for both departures and arrivals. However, in the case of the latter, the card may also be accessed on the vessel one uses (e.g. car, ferry, aircraft). On health requirements, a certificate of yellow fever vaccination is required at airports in Rwanda and Tanzania.
The protocol which was signed in November 20, last year, allows free movement of goods, services, capital and labour in the regional bloc.
Source:
Daily News | EAC Common Market takes off amid skepticism
My Take:
It seems that these people (EAC member states) were not prepared for the coming of common market protocol. From this fiasco one can conclude that our leaders are after political show-off and making history, but not after streamlining development as they have been portraying. That is the reason they are constantly making political decisons without involving neither the stakeholders nor law enforcers'. This is the reason many people in East Africa, especially Bongo Land, are so skeptical of EAC because we know our leaders for who they are truly are not the image they are trying to portray.
With East Africas current leadership, we dont need enemies. If these people are not going to be carefully, this union will ensued to be a nuisance and a big white elephant; instead, of the helping hand that many people once envisioned it to be.
