His Excellency Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of Rwanda;

His Excellency Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, President of the United Republic of Tanzania;

His Excellency Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, President of the Republic of Uganda;

His Excellency Pierre Nkurunziza, President of the Republic of Burundi;

Honourable Ministers from the East African Community Partner States,

Ambassador Juma Mwapachu, Secretary General of the E.A.C. Secretariat,

Invited Guests,

Fellow Citizens of the East African Community,

It gives me great pleasure to join you all for this 11th Summit, which is taking place at a significant period in the history of the E.A.C. integration process. May I take this early opportunity to thank the Government and the people of the United Republic of Tanzania for the warm hospitality that has been extended me and my delegation since our arrival in Arusha.

I wish to also thank my brother and colleague, His Excellency Paul Kagame, the President of Rwanda, for his stewardship during his tenure as Chairman of the Summit. During his tenure our Community made major strides in achieving key milestones in the E.A.C. integration process. Allow me also to thank my brother His Excellency Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete whose country has performed the functions of rapporteur competently and effectively. I cannot forget to thank all my other colleagues for the close cooperation we have had together in the integration matters.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

As we celebrate our 10th Anniversary since the establishment of the Community, I wish to note that the E.A.C. Customs Union which took effect on 1st January 2005 has had a positive impact in the Intra-E.A.C. trade. It is gratifying that Tanzanian’s exports to Kenya more than doubled while for Uganda it almost doubled between 2004 and 2008. The reality is that today, individual member states have become the major trading Partners of one another. Overall, volume of trade increased from 1.95 billion U.S. Dollars in 2004 to 2.8 billion U.S. Dollars in 2008, an increase of 44 percent in the first four years of the Custom Union. The revenue performance has similarly been very strong.

Total investments in the community as a percentage of G.D.P. increased from 18 per cent in 2004 to about 23 percent in 2008. Though impressive, when compared with rest of the world, this level is still low. We must, therefore, continue to aggressively market our community as a single investment destination.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The next stage of our integration is the Common Market. I am delighted to note that we are today going to make history by signing the Protocol that will usher in the Common Market for our East Africa region. The Common Market Protocol will be ratified after we sign it today. The Common Market will bring with it a sack load of benefits including free movement of persons, goods, labour, services and capital. East African citizens will, in addition, have the right to establish businesses as well as reside in any member state without being discriminated on the basis of their nationality. I urge all to amend legislations that consider East African citizens as different nationals so as to give effect to this spirit.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am aware that preliminary steps are being taken to lay the ground for the next stage in our integration process of the Monetary Union. I am aware that a study has been undertaken by the European Central Bank in collaboration with the East African Community Secretariat. This study will be useful in informing the process towards the Monetary Union so that by 2012 the East African regional integration will enter the third stage of the roadmap. Besides the monetary Union, it will be recalled that the outcome of the national consultations on the political federation revealed that majority of East African citizens were in favour of the federation of the East African countries into one political entity. There is need for us, therefore, to take the appropriate steps so as to achieve the desire of our people on political federation.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

As the community moves from one stage of the integration process to another, it is becoming imperative to establish new institutions and to hire additional skilled personnel to be able to deliver services and outputs in line with the E.A.C. Treaty. In this regard, therefore, there is an urgent need for additional funding for the Community institutions, activities, projects and programmes that continue to increase.

In conclusion, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, may I take this opportunity to wish all East African citizens a Merry Christmas and a happy new year 2010 - the year of the Common Market.

Thank you and God bless you all.