East African Business Week

The EAC Deputy Secretary General in charge of Political Federation, Ms. Beatrice Kiraso, has cautioned that the regional integration efforts will be seriously undermined if crimes like drugs and human-trafficking, terrorism and piracy are not addressed appropriately and timely.
    She notes that a collective approach is required among Partner States to tackle these crimes which have been unfortunately on the increase lately and can deter investors and harm the safety of the citizens.
    "These crimes should be urgently addressed or else the desire of making East Africa an attractive investment destination will only remain a pipe-dream,''   Kiraso indicated last week when addressing the opening session of a two-day meeting of the Heads of  Criminal Investigation Departments (CIDs) and Registrars of Motor Vehicles from the EAC Partner States in Kampala, Uganda.
She reminded participants that implementation of EAC integration stages are dependent on a sound and predictable security environment.
   ''This requires speedy implementation of co-operation arrangements within the EAC Peace and Security sector,'' Kiraso added.
    With the signing of Common Market Protocol, the EAC Deputy Secretary General said security organs, especially criminal investigation, would have to step up their operations.   "With everything good also comes some bad elements and we should swiftly be ready to tackle them as     well.
    "This meeting should  reflect on ways of providing investigators increased effective skills and knowledge that will reshape their expertise to identify  a wide range of crimes and utilize intelligence and investigative skills using modern information technologies (ITs),'' the EAC official underlined.
    Kiraso noted that issues of good governance are steadily gaining centre stage in the regional integration process, adding that good governance was part and parcel of the fundamental principles of the Community which provided a solid foundation for stability and development.
    The Uganda Inspector General of Police (IGP) Major-General Kale Kayihura observed that regional integration was paying-off with increased co-operation from all the five Partner States on matters of security. There has been positive development in police co-operation. We have had very close ties also at our level of Chiefs of Police at operational level,'' he told the delegates in his opening remarks.
    The notable example, he said, was the last year's July terrorism bombings in Kampala during a World Cup match, which claimed lives of 78 innocent Ugandans. The joint operation nabbed suspects in Tanzania and Kenya with the cooperation of security agencies.He emphasized:  ''We have been very successful in our efforts to combat terrorism through the EAC co-operation arrangement and we are confident more will be achieved as our co-operation deepens" '.The top police boss also wanted enactment of strict and punitive laws to deter drugs, human trafficking, terrorism and motor vehicle thefts.
      "We need harsh penalties to discourage people, especially youths, from engaging into these criminal activities,'' Maj-Gen Kayihura told the delegates.
      One issue that needs to be addressed urgently is harmonization of security related legislations, he added. The EAC has promised to source funds to equip the forensic laboratory currently under construction in Kampala.