KIRUKU: EAC boss has scratched the surface; we can help him go deeper

The ongoing reforms at the EAC Secretariat being spearheaded by the EAC Secretary General, Luberat Mfumukeko, are indeed long overdue and should have been undertaken ages ago. The reforms, which seek to re-energize and redirect the Secretariat for the purpose of driving the integration agenda forward, must at the very least address such key issues as allocation of resources.

The East Africa Legislative Assembly (EALA) has forwarded its proposals to the partner states, which among other things proposes amendments to the Treaty that established the Secretariat. EALA is seeking direct funding from member states instead of receiving funds through the Secretariat. This will make EALA financially independent.

One of the key challenges that the Secretariat has faced is long delays in assenting to Bills passed by the regional House due to the rigorous process that requires documents to be taken round the partner states for assenting. It would save much time and make the whole exercise smooth and efficient if major Bills were presented for signing to the heads of state during EAC Summits. The Appropriation Bill, which requires assenting by all heads of state, can be assented by the sitting chair of the Summit.

These changes will take a conscious effort to turn the EAC Secretariat into an autonomous body. This will give it more executive powers to discharge its mandate across the region. It is sad that even after negotiating and pushing for the adoption of Bills, the Secretariat has no power to enforce their implementation on the ground. Still, the blame for lack of full implementation of crucial agreements such as the Customs Union and Common Market protocols, which seek to enhance economic integration, has often been levelled against the regional body.

There has also been discontent on the Secretariat’s priorities in allocating resources to its Organs and Institutions. The key mandate of the Secretariat is to drive the integration agenda and ensure that East Africans benefit from the gains of regional integration. Anything short of this is a sideshow.

It is therefore unfortunate that a huge chunk of the regional body’s budget goes to conferences and workshops, which only duplicate the findings of similar conferences held in previous years. The findings of such workshops are usually shelved to gather dust, beating the very purpose of these expensive meetings. This also exposes the commission to accusations of creating opportunities for embezzlement of funds.

As the commission seeks to reform its Organs and Institutions, it must similarly focus on the allocation of funds to women, youth and disabled persons; these groups have consistently aired their concerns over the lack of funds to drive their programmes. Collectively, these disadvantaged groups form the larger portion of the population in the region; it is only fair, therefore, that the budgetary allocation targeting them should match their numbers.

Needless to say, every reputable employer must seek to provide fair remuneration for employees. The employees of the EAC Secretariat and its affiliated institutions, including EALA, have been crying foul over poor pay and allowances. As a result, there has been a notably high turnover of employees as they seek greener pastures. This translates to lack of commitment to the key business of the commission – driving the integration agenda. There is a need to examine remuneration, therefore, so as to re-energize the staff and increase their productivity.

The reforms must be speeded up to ensure that regional citizens start reaping the fruits of integration. The commission should learn a lesson from Brexit, that lacklustre performance can be expensive in the long-term and even lead to pull-outs. Any such crisis can be averted through proactive efforts that provide a sense of belonging to everyone in the region.

Promoting peace and security, naturally, should be given the weight it deserves through sufficient financial allocation. The ongoing crisis in Burundi and the escalation in South Sudan threaten regional peace and stability, and should inform reforms in peace and security issues.

But member states must support the EAC Secretariat in these reforms if indeed success is to be guaranteed. They must offer guidelines throughout and speed up the adoption and implementation of the proposed reforms.