News Analysis By Leo Odera Omolo In Kisumu City.
Tension and discontent is reportedly building up at the EAC secretariat based in Arusha as the impending exit of the current Secretary General Ambassador Juma V. Mwapachu’s five years terms comes to an end next April.
Member countries are Kenyta, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burndiu. Kenya, Tanzania and Ugaanda are the founder member states and senior most, while Rwanda and Burundi joined the block the other day.
Mwapachu is a Tanzanian and he has held the rotating top job for the last five years and he is being credited for having initiated some far-reaching socio-economic projects in the region.
According, to the Treaty establishing the body, the position of the Secretary General has to come from a different member state after the end five year tenure of office.
The vacancy, expected to be created by the impending retirement of Mwapachu, according to observers in Arusha, is dividing the region, between Rwanda and Burundi on the one hand and Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania on the other.
Sources, familiar with Rwanda President Paul Kagame’s thinking, say that the new entrants into the EAC view as “unfortunate and divisive” the argument being advanced by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda that it is not yet time for a Rwandan or a Burundian to lead the EAC -0stensiboy because the new member countries are “too young.”
Political pundits says that it has not helped that the jostling for the position is being viewed in Kugali and Bujumbura in the light of the warming political ties between Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni and Kenya’s Prime Minister Raila Odinga. The latter joined the Ugandan head of state on the campaign trail three weeks ago.
Hither to, the relations between the two had been sour, as the result of the Ugandan government refusal to hand back, to Kenyan administration, the disputed controversial Migingo fishing island in Lake Victoria, which Nairobi consider as its part and parcel.
Uganda has retained a contingent of armed marine police on the island despite, an earlier agreement that each country pull out its security personnel, and also pull own its national flag, while negotiations over the islands right ownership is being sought.
Pundits were last two quick in making intelligent guesswork that perhaps Kenya wants the top EAC job given what transpired between Museveni and Raila in Uganda. People were left guessing as to what Raila Odinga was up to in Uganda where he joined Museveni in his election campaign trail in Eastern part of the country.
The post falls vacant in April, after the incumbent a Tanzanian steps down. Pundits were however arguing that, ”you cannot have a membership organization where rights are granted on basis of seniority – – even though when it comes to paying contributions, everyone pays the same”, a source said of President Kagame’s feeling about the developments around the EAC’s secretary general position.
Information emerging from Kigali says Rwanda is making no secret of the fat that it is interested in putting forward a candidate to vie for the post when it falls vacant in April after the incumbent, Mr Mwapachu, a Tanzanian steps down on rotation. If this issue is not sorted out amicably, observers say it could kill “the community in the popular imagination “if the public thinks that Rwanda and Burundi are being shoved aside.
According to an article appearing in the influential weekly, the EASTAFRICAN, Rwanda’s Minister for EAC Affairs Monique Mukaruliza was quoted as sayting the country was ready for the seat.
“Under the existing traditional rotational arrangement, it is supposed to be Rwanda and Burundi’s turns to take over she said in another article published by the New Times.” We shall agree with the Burundi who comes first because we all joined the EAC bloc at the same time. But if Burundi agrees, we shall occupy the chair,” the Minister added.
The Minister argued that the principle of the EAC Treaty for the establishment of the organization is clear about the occupancy of the post of the secretary general.
Ends