EAC members in bid to harmonise governance rules

“Going by the same standards of peaceful, free and fair elections, we are banking on successful general elections in Tanzania by October and Uganda by February next year in order to complete our picture of a politically stable region,” said Mutula Kilonzo, Kenya’s Justice minister.

Kenya’s botched 2007 election and the post election violence that followed it are remembered for heightening the region’s political risk among investors who had been attracted by the country’s strategic geographical location.

On Thursday, Mr Kilonzo said he was leading a government delegation to Brazil, India, and Philippine to study the electronic voting system for the purpose of duplicating it in the country in readiness for the 2012 general election.

The minister also promised to circulate the country’s new constitution to EAC member states to guide discussion on common governance values.

“Governance is the single largest segment of the new constitution, taking up to 40 articles and this makes our constitution a good starting point in the search for uniform governance values,” said Mr Kilonzo.