EALA committee chair for greater domestication of Malabo Declaration

10/02/2016

  

ARUSHA

 

East Africa Community Member States should heed small scale farmers call to domesticate  Malabo Declaration by embedding it in state’s policies and laws. 

 

This would make implementation of its noble goals more feasible, according to Hon Christophe Bazivamo, the chairman of the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) Committee of Agriculture Tourism and Natural Resources (ATNR

 

He was speaking at the East Africa Small Scale Farmers’ Summit 2016  in Arusha, Tanzania.

 

Africa Union’s Malabo Declaration on Accelerated Agricultural Growth and Transformation for Shared Prosperity and Improved Livelihoods sets noble goals to eliminate hunger and halve poverty in Africa by 2025 through Agriculture.

 

“In Africa we have wonderful plans but we fall short when we come to effective implementation,” he said in reference to Malabo Declaration and the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP).

 

Hon Bazivamo disclosed that  all East African Countries are committed to implementation of the Maputo Declaration 2003 and subsequent recommitment in the Malabo Declaration 2014, but more was needed.

 

“The challenge is that most partner states have not invested in agriculture as we wish….,” he said. Maputo declaration envisions 10 percent budget allocation to agriculture and 6 percent annual growth of the sector for the committed states.  

 

“The Malabo Declaration requires partnership of stakeholders through a CAADP COMPACT at all levels to make it a success and if farmers want to push for introduction of new legal and policy framework there is a way to do it,” Hon Bazivamo advised. 

 

Hon. Bazivamo who is the former Rwandan Minister for Agriculture said ATNR Committee welcomes EAC small scale farmers to  deliberate on the introduction of the ‘EAC Malabo” legal and policy framework as it would ensure greater transparency, accountability and speed in the implementation of the Malabo commitments.

 

“Once is agreed, we will table a motion to the entire Regional Parliament and we will defend that position so that we have strong instruments to exercise oversight over the Malabo Commitments implementations in the EAC,” he said.

 

Hon. Bazivamo proposed the other way towards strong regional legal and policy framework on CAADP as for farmers to petition the EALA  in which the ATNR committee  will analyse and and if in agreement defend the petition.

 

On his said, Mr. Alfayo Kuruna, a farmer leader from Kenya said that ESAFF has been calling for domestication of  the African Union (AU) Malabo Declaration of June 2014 by the region to adopt the declaration and possibly develop a protocol. 

 

Mr. Kuruna asserted that such a the strategy would draw assured momentum in the implementation of  Malabo Declaration. It would recognise and demand East African stakeholders including farmers, pastoralists, fishers, private sector operators in agriculture, agribusiness and agro-industries, civil society organisations and financial institutions to rally behind the realisation of the provisions of the declaration.

 

He retaliated that ESAFF was convinced that the EAC Secretariat and the EALA should review and introduce new legal and policy framework as well as increase its oversight role on national governments and the EAC secretariat to ensure that the CAADP protocol and the EAC Food Security action Plan are adhered to, implemented and realised before the year 2025.