‘Involve population in EA federation’
Oct 14, 2004
FORMER workers of the East African Comm-unity (EAC) yesterday cautioned member countries to ensure balance in resource allocation among the countries to avoid a repeat of the collapse of the community.
By Milton Olupot
FORMER workers of the East African Comm-unity (EAC) yesterday cautioned member countries to ensure balance in resource allocation among the countries to avoid a repeat of the collapse of the community.
They also said the population should be involved in the process of the federation and not leaving it to politicians to be the reservoirs of the community.
A team of former EAC workers comprising state minister for labour Henry Obbo, Kampala advocate Paul Sebalu, former Electoral Commission commissioner Robert Kitariko and Adrian Sibo, a Uganda Human Rights Commissioner, were yesterday meeting members of the Committee on Fast Tracking East African Federation in Kampala.
The team said leaving the federation process to politicians would lead to its collapse once politicians disagreed.
They said it would be necessary to hold a referendum over the issue.
The meeting at the foreign affairs ministry boardroom was chaired by committee chairman Amos Wako, also Kenya’s Attorney General.
It aimed at gathering views on how to attain the East African federation without repeating mistakes that led to the collapse of the EAC.
The former workers said the EAC collapsed easily because it was not people-owned. “People need to be educated about the federation so that they can own it, and if necessary let them decide in a referendum,†Sebalu said.
Ends
FORMER workers of the East African Comm-unity (EAC) yesterday cautioned member countries to ensure balance in resource allocation among the countries to avoid a repeat of the collapse of the community.
They also said the population should be involved in the process of the federation and not leaving it to politicians to be the reservoirs of the community.
A team of former EAC workers comprising state minister for labour Henry Obbo, Kampala advocate Paul Sebalu, former Electoral Commission commissioner Robert Kitariko and Adrian Sibo, a Uganda Human Rights Commissioner, were yesterday meeting members of the Committee on Fast Tracking East African Federation in Kampala.
The team said leaving the federation process to politicians would lead to its collapse once politicians disagreed.
They said it would be necessary to hold a referendum over the issue.
The meeting at the foreign affairs ministry boardroom was chaired by committee chairman Amos Wako, also Kenya’s Attorney General.
It aimed at gathering views on how to attain the East African federation without repeating mistakes that led to the collapse of the EAC.
The former workers said the EAC collapsed easily because it was not people-owned. “People need to be educated about the federation so that they can own it, and if necessary let them decide in a referendum,†Sebalu said.
Ends