As part of regional
integration, the president of the East Africa Civil Society Organizations Forum
said he is working with the East African Legislative Assembly to draft
legislation that will unify the civic space in the region.
Edmund Yakani met Josephe
Ntakirutimana, speaker of the East Africa Legislative Assembly, during the 2nd
summit of East Africa Civil Society Organizations last week in Arusha,
Tanzania.
“We have agreed with the
members of the East African Legislative Assembly that there is a necessity to
enact legislation for civil society in the East African Community to unify the
civic space. The civil society would like to contribute to the genuine integration
of East African citizens,” said Yakani.
The president of the forum
stated that the enactment of legislation aimed at unifying the regional civic
space will enable activists within the region to enjoy the same civic space as
the East African Civil Society in their respective member states.
“That’s why I’m taking this
opportunity to urge the heads of state and governments in East African
Community to allow civil society to operate freely without any restriction,”
said Yakani.
The East Africa activists’
leader continued to discuss with the speaker of EALA the removal of non-tariff
barriers within the East Africa countries to enable free trade among the East
African citizens.
“We have also discussed the
issue of non-tariff various to be lifted to help our citizens trade among
themselves, and we have called upon our lawmakers in the East African
Legislative Assembly and our ministries of East African Community Affairs to
ensure that the East African Community’s decisions are close to the citizens,”
Yakani stated.
The leadership of the East
Africa Civil Society Organizations Forum is set to embark on the member-states
tour to pursue civic space integration with leaders and mobilize the states to
take part in the 25th commemoration of the East Africa Community,
which will take place in South Sudan this year.
