PREAMBLE
WHEREAS the Republic of Uganda, the Republic of Kenya and the United
Republic of Tanzania have enjoyed close historical, commercial, industrial,
cultural and other ties for many years;
AND WHEREAS formal economic and social integration in the East
African Region commenced with, among other things, the construction of the
Kenya Uganda Railway 1897 - 1901, the establishment of the Customs
Collection Centre 1900, the East African Currency Board 1905, the Postal Union
1905, the Court of Appeal for Eastern Africa 1909, the Customs Union 1919, the
East African Governors Conference 1926, the East African Income Tax Board
1940 and the Joint Economic Council 1940;
AND WHEREAS provision was made by the East Africa (High
Commission) Orders in Council 1947 - 1961, the East African Common Services
Organisation Agreements 1961 – 1966, and the Treaty for East African Cooperation 1967 for the establishment respectively, of the East Africa High
Commission, the East African Common Services Organisation and the East
African Community as successive joint organisations of the said countries to
control and administer certain matters of common interest and to regulate the
commercial and industrial relations and transactions between the said countries
and by means of a central legislature to enact on behalf of the said countries laws
relevant to the purposes of the said joint organisations;
AND WHEREAS in 1977 the Treaty for East African Co-operation
establishing the East African Community was officially dissolved, the main
reasons contributing to the collapse of the East African Community being lack of
strong political will, lack of strong participation of the private sector and civil
society in the co-operation activities, the continued disproportionate sharing of
benefits of the Community among the Partner States due to their differences in
their levels of development and lack of adequate policies to address this
situation;
AND WHEREAS upon the dissolution of the East African Community the
said countries signed on the 14th day of May, 1984, at Arusha, in Tanzania the
East African Community Mediation Agreement 1984, hereinafter referred to as
"the Mediation Agreement" for the division of the assets and liabilities of the
former East African Community;
AND WHEREAS pursuant to Article 14.02 of the Mediation Agreement
the said countries agreed to explore and identify areas for future co-operation
and to make arrangements for such co-operation;
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