East African Court of Justice, 25th January 2023: The Principal Secretary (PS), State Department for East African Community, Kenya, Mr. Abdi Dubat accompanied by officers from the Kenya Consulate, (Arusha) and a team from the State Department for EAC (Kenya) paid a visit to the Court to familiarize with its functioning.
In her welcome remarks, Ms. Christine Mutimura, Her Worship Deputy Registrar thanked the PS and his delegation for finding time to visit the EACJ.
The PS Mr. Abdi Dubat said that, he was delighted to visit the EACJ, pointing out that, his visit was part of his engagement with the various EAC Organs and Institutions as a new member of the EAC Coordination Committee of the Permanent/Principal Secretaries.
The Principal Secretary appreciated EACJ for remaining true to its vision of being “A World Class Court Dispensing Justice for a United and Prosperous Community” and said that his visit to EACJ was to provide a platform to identify underlying issues and challenges in the Court’s day-to-day operations and make recommendations focused on the ultimate EAC integration.
He further added that he was happy to note that in 2015, the Summit of EAC Heads of State signed the Protocol to operationalize the extended Jurisdiction of the EACJ to include trade matters and confirmed that the Republic of Kenya had finalized the ratification process.
The Principal Secretary further congratulated the Hon. President and the entire EACJ on the timely establishment of EACJ Sub-Registries in the Partner States, a decision that has seen justice taken closer to the citizens of the community. In terms of creating awareness on the EACJ’s role, the PS appreciated the Court’s continued engagement with its stakeholders as well as the various outreach programs with its internal, external, national and international stakeholders.
In conclusion the Principal Secretary reiterated that the main objective of his engagement with the EACJ was to understand the Court’s operations better and understand areas that require Council of Ministers in order to attain the ultimate of EAC integration. He urged to be furnished with information for practical, realistic and actionable recommendations.
Her Worship, Deputy Registrar Christine Mutimura, then made presentation on the Overview of the East African Court of Justice, (EACJ) and covered in details; the mandate, vision, Mission, and a brief history of the EACJ from its inception in November, 2021 to-date. She further talked about the access to the Court, EACJ Jurisdiction and Jurisprudence, achievements and challenges, possible areas of collaboration, Seat of the Court and the two Divisions of the Court, (Appellate and First Instance Division.)
She commended the Principal Secretary and his delegation for the important visit to know the EACJ better.
In attendance were also Staff of the Court accompanying the Deputy Registrar during the visit.