The East African Legislative Assembly has passed the East Africa Community (EAC) Cooperative Societies Bill 2014, giving the cooperative fraternity and stakeholders something to smile about. The Bill sailed through the third reading after Members debated and made amendments to a number of clauses to reflect relevancy and consistency.
The objective of the EAC Cooperative Societies Bill, 2014 is to provide a legal framework for Co-operative Societies in line with Article 128 of the Treaty for the Establishment of the EAC strengthening the role of private sector as an effective force for developing economies.
The Bill is divided into ten parts. Clause 3 of the Bill lays down objectives of Cooperative Societies which include: solving problems collectively, co-ordinating knowledge and skills and promoting self- reliance amongst Members.
The rest of the areas contained in the Bill deal with the formation, rights and duties of members and privileges. Other areas include the assets and liabilities, settlement of disputes and winding up/dissolution of Societies.
The Bill is based on the understanding that each Partner State shall undertake to encourage the efficient use of resources and to promote the development of private sector organisations which are engaged in all types of economic activities, such as the chambers of commerce and industry, confederations and associations of industry, agriculture among others.
At national Assembly passes EAC cooperative Societies Bill, 2014 level, co-operators bear the primary responsibility to develop themselves but it is worth mentioning that regional and international support and cooperation may be needed to supplement domestic efforts.
The Bill moved by Mike Kennedy Sebalu received overwhelming support on the floor of the House last week when the report of the public hearings held in the Partner States was approved. Various stakeholders including the East African Farmers Federation have come out in support of the crucial Bill.
The President of the Eastern Africa Farmers Federation (EAFF), Phillip Kiriro, expressed his excitement at the passing of the crucial Bill.
“Today, is definitely a good day for the cooperative movement and this is very exciting news. I laud the legislators for enacting the key Bill”, he said on phone from Kenya’s capital, Nairobi.
The Federation’s Executive Director, Steve Muchiri termed the passage of the Bill as historic.
“I have just returned from a stakeholders meeting in Addis Ababa and everybody there had expressed optimism”, he said. “The long wait has finally paid off”, he added.
The Bill shall now move to the next stage – which is that of assent by the EAC Heads of State in line with Article 63 of the EAC Treaty.
The Act was passed yesterday last week during the EALA session in Arusha, The passing of the Act followed a debate on the proposed Amendments to the Bill.
These are the Amendments that were generated during the extensive consultation process that was undertaken throughout the course of last year (2014), culminating in the Public Hearings which took place in each EAC partner state in September 2014.
Guided by the new Speaker, Rt Hon Daniel Fred Kidega, the debate on the Bill (as it was referred, before being passed), the MPs debated and passed the first four clauses. the remaining clauses including the proposed new clauses, all of which passed unanimously.
The clauses were read by the Chairman of the Committee of Agriculture, Tourism and Natural Resources, Abdulkari Harelimana (Rwanda), with support from the Mover of the Bill, Mike Kennedy Ssebalu (Uganda).
Zein Abubaker (Kenya) and Hon Abdi Ogle (Kenya) proposed an additional clause which specifically places emphasis on encouraging the participation of people with disabilities, in co-operatives. This proposal was also adopted.
The EAC Co-operative Societies Act is now an Act of the Assembly, awaiting assent by the EAC Heads of State. EAFF’s intention is that the Act will be part of the agenda for the forth-coming EAC Heads of State Summit taking place in Nairobi, Kenya in the next two weeks. We intend to work closely with the office of the Secretary General of the EAC to ensure that this is the case.
Thereafter, EAFF, in close collaboration with her member organizations, intends to embark on an ambitious and robust awareness effort at the regional, national and sub-national levels in all the EAC partner states.
The Act, once enacted, will allow Primary Co-operatives from the different EAC partner states to form a Regional Co-operative Union, individuals from different countries to form one co-operative, among other benefits.
The Act also establishes the East African Co-operative Agency. One of the first tasks of the Agency will be to develop the Rules and Regulations of the Act.
Speaker of the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA), Daniel Kidega (pictured) has pledged to help the Eastern Africa Farmers Federation (EAFF) consolidate and notch up its participation in the integration process.
Speaking last week at the official launch of the EAFF directory on cross border value chains actors, the newly instated Speaker vowed support towards the enactment of relevant laws to protect interests of the farming community, including the EAC Co-operative Societies Bill, 2014.
Kidega said EALA members are aware of the role played by agriculture in the region and; “so we’ll make sure that all challenges are addressed for the betterment East African farmers.”
“EALA will also play role in changing people’s mindset to leave traditional farming and embark in agri-business,” Kidega said.
He noted that farming is an imperative tool to addressing food security and unemployment in the region.
“We need to create better environment for the sector to flourish in so our youth will be able to get employment,” he said calling governments to ensure they reduce unnecessary NTBs at border points.
He also urged EAFF to encourage farmers to inculcate the habit of adding value to agro-produces, so they may reap good returns from their sweat.
EAFF Chief Executive Officer, Stephen Muchiri said the newly released publication (EAFF directory) includes details of the different players in the following agricultural value chains—beef, milk, cassava, potatoes, maize and rice.
“Our intention is that the directory will be used as a tool by different actors, especially farmers, to exploit the opportunities in regional trade,” he explained.
EAFF is a non-political, non-profit and a democratic apex organisation of all Framers of Eastern Africa.
Its role is to voice legitimate concerns and interests of farmers of the region with the aim of enhancing regional cohesiveness and social-economic status of the farmers.
The Federation, apart from voicing views and demands of the farmers on crosscutting issues will also endeavour to promote regional integration of the farmers through trade and good neighbourliness.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN, IPP Media
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