SPEECH BY HIS EXCELLENCY HON. UHURU KENYATTA, C.G.H.

, PRESIDENT AND COMMANDER IN CHIEF OF THE DEFENCE FORCES OF THE REPUBLIC OF KENYA DURING HIS ADDRESS TO THE EAST AFRICAN LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY AT PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS, NAIROBI, ON 26TH NOVEMBER, 2013 The Speaker, East African Legislative Assembly, The Speaker, Kenya National Assembly, The Speaker, Senate of the Republic of Kenya, Ladies and entlemen,

!t gives me great pleasure to be "ith you all# ! am glad to see everyone assembled in this $hamber for such an important occasion# %adam Speaker, &e consider this occasion important for all the people of East Africa, and as a special honour for Kenya to have you, and the %embers of your Assembly "ho have accompanied you# ! thank you for visiting us, and on behalf of my overnment, e'tend a "arm "elcome to all of you# Karibuni Nairobi( Karibuni Kenya# %adam Speaker, The rotational meetings of your esteemed Assembly in member States are an admirable innovation in integrating consultation and interaction to enrich legislative deliberations# The people of East Africa are thereby afforded an opportunity to "itness at close )uarters the "orkings of the Assembly# !n turn, they get good understanding of the organs of the East African $ommunity# *n your part, the chance to receive contributions directly from the people enhances both the )uality of legislative output, "hile strengthening and promoting the integration process# %adam Speaker, %y overnment not only supports the Assembly+s "orking tours( "e have committed ourselves to facilitate your tour of our country# !f East African integration is to be truly people,centered, the Assembly must be able to fully discharge its responsibility of sensiti-ing the $ommunity+s citi-ens# ! encourage you to make the best of this opportunity and do an e'cellent .ob in this Session# *ur integration should be accompanied "ith the most intensive and interactive civic education e'ercise spearheaded by the Assembly# %adam Speaker, /our Assembly+s role is critical to the "ell,being of our $ommunity# Ever since the inauguration of the East African Legislative Assembly, e'pectations over its role in the affairs of the $ommunity and potential to

accelerate integration have been rightly high# These e'pectations have kept gro"ing year after year# Today, the $ommunity stands at the door of great promise 1 of peace and security, economic development and better standard of life for all our peoples# The Assembly holds the key to this door# This session in particular, is e'pected to chart the course for an efficient and better, functioning $ommunity to deliver the integration agenda# This e'pectation should inform your deliberations on the various 2ills before you# Additionally, it is vital for the Assembly to find innovative and purposive means of eradicating the "eaknesses and deficiencies in the $ommunity+s Statutes and 3rotocols that affect the pace of integration# The la"s enacted by this Assembly are intended to enhance and complement national la"s and ease integration# !t "ill be useful for the Assembly to enhance collaboration "ith national parliaments so that the $ommunity can benefit from e'changes and e'periences from various domestic mechanisms# %adam Speaker, East African integration is firmly on course# *ver time, "e have mustered such an unstoppable momentum that "e are no" assured of reali-ing it not too far in the future# The people of East Africa are interacting at such a rising rate, and e'changing information, goods and services in such gro"ing volumes, that our borders have become mere formalities# The gro"ing benefits of interactions across our various borders have cataly-ed East Africans+ desire for integration# This popular desire makes integration inevitable in due course# 4o"ever, the pace of integration has not been even# A particular obstacle has been non,tariff barriers "hich continue to plague the competitiveness of our region by raising the cost of doing business# These barriers have hindered the e'ploitation of market opportunities other"ise available to East African 2usinesses# %ost certainly, non,tariff barriers significantly erode the mutual competitive advantage e'pected from integration# Kenya is cogni-ant of this setback, and is fully committed to the elimination of non,tariff barriers# !n the recent past, "e have demonstrated this commitment by taking several administrative measures to significantly reduce the time taken bet"een off,loading cargo at the 3ort of %ombasa and reaching the %alaba border crossing# &e have also removed all road,blocks and reduced "eigh,bridges to only t"o# The security along the Northern Transport $orridor is no" greatly enhanced, "ith more high"ay police patrols ensuring the safety of cargo and cre"# !n this "ay, "e have made tremendous progress in availing the ate"ay to East Africa for easier movement of cargo of the business community in 5ganda, R"anda and 2urundi#

3rogress has also been made in significantly easing the movement of people "ithin the $ommunity# &e hope that this progress "ill be sustained to reali-e the full potential of integration# %adam Speaker, As partner States find political means of boosting integration, it is important for the $ommunity+s Legislature to assist in devising complementary mechanisms# !n particular, ! urge the Assembly to keep its eye firmly on the implementation of the $ommon %arket provisions, "hose achievement "ill increase the benefits of integration, and promote progress to subse)uent phases in integration# %adam Speaker, As you are a"are, the establishment of the East African $ommunity $ustoms 5nion and $ommon %arket led to negotiations to"ards the creation of a %onetary 5nion# ! am happy that this month, the East African $ommunity %onetary 5nion 3rotocol "ill be signed# !n many "ays, the %onetary 5nion is the logical culmination of integration efforts# All the things "e seek in integration "ill be multiplied in the %onetary 5nion# &e e'pect, under the 5nion, a strengthening of competition in respective domestic markets as "ell as the efficiencies arising out of greater economies of scale# %oreover, the costs of transacting in different currencies and the risks associated "ith adverse e'change rate movements in respect of intra,$ommunity trade "ill be eliminated# 2esides "idening trade opportunities "ithin the $ommunity, the regional market "ill offer a stepping stone for local producers to access global markets# lobally, the East African %onetary 5nion "ill send a strong statement of our long,term commitment to deepen regional investment# Such a statement "ill assure investors that East Africa is a genuine single market and an attractive place for business# 3olitically, the %onetary 5nion is a statement of our 3artner States+ commitment to a shared destiny as East Africans and not .ust a group of neighbouring States# %adam Speaker, &ithout a doubt, it is our common duty to institute mechanisms for the effective implementation of the %onetary 5nion# As legislators, you have a critical role 1 to enact robust enabling la"s and e'ercise diligent oversight# /our oversight is a critical function( it is central to the satisfactory functioning of the $ommunity# 3lease enable the $ommunity ma'imi-e the benefits of a stronger bargaining position afforded by the %onetary 5nion# As ! conclude, ! urge this Assembly to do all it can to keep the integration process truly people,centred# To facilitate the full and thorough

participation of our peoples, and to maintain our uni)ue, shared identity, ! urge you to encourage a "idespread use of Kis"ahili by East African citi-ens# od has given us a voice that can unite all the people of East Africa, and "e should deploy it through various media to actuali-e integration# %adam Speaker, ! "ish this distinguished Assembly fruitful deliberations and successful "ork during this Session# Thank you very much# od 2less you#