Africa-Press – Tanzania. THE East African Community (EAC) new secretary general Dr Peter Mathuki has pledged to support Partner States as they reel from the effects of Covid-19 Pandemic.
A former member of the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA), Dr Mathuki said apart from elusive peace and tranquility in some of the neighbouring countries, the region was also facing multiple challenges including the deadly virus.
“As a matter of urgency, I pledge to work hand in hand with all stakeholders and to support Partner States in economic recovery and job creation,” said Dr Mathuki, during a handing over ceremony on Friday which was also preceded by a closed session with all the top EAC executives.
“Given the disruption seen in the global supply chain, it is the opportune time to develop our own capacity in the production of vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics that are affordable and that meet the required global standards,” added Dr Mathuki.
The EAC boss noted further that the Covid-19 pandemic, in particular, has disrupted livelihoods, and negatively impacted the economic growth in the region.
“It behooves us, as members of the EAC, to develop a coordinated approach in responding to this pandemic so that together we can triumph in our common agenda for economic integration and sustainable development,” he said.
He however called for unity of purpose – working collectively as a team to serve East Africans.
Dr Mathuki further urged East Africans to embrace the Buy East African, Build East Africa (BEABEA) concept in a bid to support the regional manufacturing sector, which he said, had taken a lead role in repurposing production lines to fast track the production of; protective face masks, sanitisers, Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs), oxygen cylinders and enhanced immune improving natural products among others.
The Kenyan national takes over from Burundian Libérat Mfumukeko whose tour of office came to an end early this year.
Before his appointment as the EAC Secretary General, Dr Mathuki also served as the Chief Executive Officer of the East African Business Council (EABC).
He becomes the sixth EAC secretary-general and the second from Kenya, the first one being Francis Muthaura, who served from 1996 to 2001.
The others are Nuwe Amanya Mushega from Uganda (2001-2006), Tanzania’s Juma Mwapachu (2006-2011), Richard Sezibera from Rwanda (2011-2016) and Burundi’s Liberat Mfumukeko (2016- 2021).
The East African Community is a regional intergovernmental organisation of six Partner States, comprising Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda, with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.
It is home to 177 million citizens, of which over 22 per cent is urban population. With a land area of 2.5 million square kilometres and a combined Gross Domestic Product of US$ 193 billion (EAC Statistics for 2019), its realisation bears great strategic and geopolitical significance and prospects for the renewed and reinvigorated EAC.
As one of the fastest growing regional economic blocs in the world, the EAC is widening and deepening cooperation among the member states in various key spheres for their mutual benefit.
The spheres include political, economic and social. 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.
