The Judge President of the East African Court Nestor Kayobera has today launched Judges training based on good governance and rule of law in the East Africa Community.
The Attorney General Justice Kihara Kariuki, Justice Geoffrey Kiryabwire, Vice President; Justice Yohane Bakobora Masara as Principal Judge and Justice Audace Ngiye as Deputy Principal Judge will lead the four days training.
AG Kariuki said the theme is “Enhancing the ability of the Bench and the Bar in East Africa to promote and expand the East African civic space through the East African Court of Justice Architecture”.
“The EACJ has in the recent past witnessed a growth in its activities. I note with appreciation that the report presented by the Court to the 40th Meeting of the EAC Council of Ministers on 25th February, 2021 highlighted that a total of sixty-four matters were handled by the Court in the year 2020,”he added.
He added that there have been previous attempts to negotiate and conclude a Protocol to operationalize the extended Jurisdiction of the EACJ.
“ I will, in my current capacity as the Chair of the EAC Sectoral Council on Legal and Judicial Affairs, follow up on the status of the Protocol as the extended jurisdiction of the Court would enable the Court to promote the objectives of the Community, “he added.
He added that the East African Community is primarily viewed as a regional economic integration bloc that has entered into a Customs Union, Common Market and is currently seeking to implement a Monetary Union and, ultimately, a Political Federation.
“To realize economic and political integration, good governance and the rule of law are instrumental, It is for this reason that Articles 6 (d) and 7 (2) of the Treaty for the Establishment of the East African Community unequivocally prescribe that Partner States, “he added.
Kayobera said that they are aware that the issues of the court budget are discussed by people who do not appreciate and understand the functioning of the court.
“This may even be one reason the budget of the court has been diminishing over the years despite the backlog of cases and the planned important activities of the court, “he added.
He said that EACJ will be 20 years in November this year yet the treaty was ratified when members were only three but is still in its basic structure despite the increase in the membership and diversity of cases being filed.
“After this training, we shall have our plenary meeting where we shall discuss important management’s issues of the Judiciary including diversity in our workplace and issues of constitutionalism in the region, “he added.
He added that the East African Community is primarily viewed as a regional economic integration bloc that has entered into a Customs Union, Common Market and is currently seeking to implement a Monetary Union and, ultimately, a Political Federation.
“To realize economic and political integration, good governance and the rule of law are instrumental, It is for this reason that Articles 6 (d) and 7 (2) of the Treaty for the Establishment of the East African Community unequivocally prescribe that Partner States, “he added.
