THE EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY LEADERS INTRODUCE THE REGIONAL ELECTRONIC PASSPORT

The East African Community – a regional intergovernmental organization involving Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania – is introducing a regional electronic passport. This will facilitate international travel as well as help the region become more integrated.

Leaders coming together

The 17th OrdinaryA took place on March 2nd. It was hosted by the chairman, Tanzania’s President John Magufuli, and was held in Arusha. Presidents Yowehttp://younggskillzmusicshare.blogspot.com/, ri Museveni of Uganda, Paul Kagame of Rwanda, Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya, Pierre Nkurunziza of Burundi, and Salva Kiir of South Sudan were all in attendance.

“As one of the fastest growing regional economic blocs in the world, the EAC is widening and deepening co-operation among the Partner States in various key spheres for their mutual benefit. These spheres include political, economic and social,” the EAC website states.  

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Regional integration

The representatives of each country came together and discussed the launch of the electronic passports for all of the region’s citizens. The new passports will give their citizens more free movement; they will be able to travel across the region as well as internationally. Travelling with the old EAC document was restricted to the five EAC member states. A statement released by the EAC’s Secretariat says that the heads of state “directed that commencement of issuance of the EA e-passport takes effect from 1st January, 2017; and implement the phase out programme for the current East African and national passports from 1st January, 2017 to 31st December, 2018.” The electronic passport will have advanced technology to reinforce national security systems and have a secure e-immigration network. Having a common passport will help increase the region’s integration, which is one of the EAC’s main goals.

“At the moment, the regional integration process is in full swing as reflected by the encouraging progress of the East African Customs Union, the establishment of the Common Market in 2010 and the implementation of the East African Monetary Union Protocol,” the site says.