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{
    "id": 1461432,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1461432/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 225,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Kipipiri, UDA",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Wanjiku Muhia",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. From the outset, I want to appreciate the Members who have spoken very well on the matter of the EAC. I also thank the Office of the Speaker, the Office of the Clerk and our Committee Clerk for having facilitated us very well. Having said that, I have noted with concern that Members would like East Africa to have better borders just like Europe. Currently, we are enjoying the one-stop border point. I would like to inform the House that we have a whole protocol on peace and security signed by every partner state and even the up-coming partner states like Somalia and the Democratic Republic of Congo are also supposed to sign this treaty. Hon. Members can be assured that we will continue to live in harmony. About opening the air-space, I already mentioned that the Republic of Rwanda and the Republic of Kenya have signed an agreement. Harmonisation of taxes is a big deal in this matter, but it calls for a United States of East Africa. When we do so, flights to Dar es Salaam, Kampala and other states will be termed as domestic flights. Automatically, the cost will become cheaper. On matters of telecommunication, I can confirm to the House that the Central Corridor is about to be completed and soon it will be like the Northern Corridor. So, you can call while in Tanzania and Bujumbura. Hon. (Dr) Nyikal, has asked about research. I want to confirm to him that the East African Health and Research Commission (EAHRC) in Bujumbura is doing very well. It facilitated and supported the EAC so well during the COVID-19. As a result, we were at a better place than some countries in the West. Hon. CNN spoke of the East African Monetary Union (EAMU). I can confirm to the Members that this was signed on 30th November 2013 immediately after I joined the Committee of Regional Integration. So, I was relatively new. Quite a number of legislations of EAMU have been signed. In fact, we are thinking of where the East African Central Bank will be placed. We hope it will be placed in Kenya, but this is only a matter of time. Economies and analysis of several factors are being considered just like in Europe. We are still looking at the nitty-gritty so that when we go this way of a common currency as the EAC, we shall be sure we are going in the right direction. In conclusion, several Members have spoken highly on trade barriers. As you will remember, in my debate, I quoted that the population of East Africa is similar to that of the United States of America. There is no doubt that we can do intra-trade within ourselves more than international trade. Hon. Members have picked the trade barriers and non-tariff barriers. I want to inform you that once we adopt this Report, we will urge the Council of Ministers to fast-track the EAC Elimination of Non-Tariff Barriers Act of 2017, hand-in-hand with this House calling them to increase the budget. As I already indicated in my deliberations, we have a vote in the East African budget which deals with non-tariff barriers. This department suffers from lack of staff and facilitation. You can imagine a department entitled or supposed to go the whole region with almost nine countries now, but with so little funds that cannot move them out of Arusha. They may not know what is happening in Moyale, Busia and other borders. I thank everyone once more and I say that I am happy as the Chairperson of the Committee on Regional Integration to have noticed that many Members nowadays are enjoying debating the Motions of East Africa. By way of information and not pre-emptying, we shall soon be tabling a report on visit to the Kiswahili Commission. As a Committee, we have agreed we shall be tabling this report in Kiswahili. We shall be requesting the Members to discuss it in Kiswahili. So, Hon. Members, start preparing your Kiswahili language because language is a key factor in trade and we cannot thrive in trade if we do not even understand each other. With that, I thank you and I beg to move. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}