Dar opposes use of ID cards at borders

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The Kenya-Uganda border crossing at Busia. Picture: Jacob Owiti
By CHRISTABEL LIGAMI

Posted Sunday, June 19 2011 at 12:33




Tanzania has differed with its EAC counterparts over the use of national identity cards as the region’s standard travel documents.

This could delay the full implementation of the Common Market Protocol, even though Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda and Burundi are in agreement that only the ID should be used to aid the free movement of citizens within the region.

But Tanzania feels travellers should also produce passports and other relevant documents.

Richard Sindiga, Director of Economic Affairs at Kenya’s Ministry of EAC, said if the system is adopted, work permits and passports will be abolished. Mr Sindiga said the use of IDs is part of efforts towards accelerating the integration process.

“For the system to be effective, all partner states will need to have electronic IDs,” said Mr Sindiga.

Only Rwanda has electronic national IDs. Also, it is the only other country besides Kenya that issues national identity cards to its nationals.

Rwanda’s Minister of the East African Community Affairs Monique Mukaruliza, says the use of national ID’s would be a positive development towards the implementation of the EAC Common Market.

In the Common Market Protocol, the right to free movement of persons entails the abolition of any discrimination based on nationality.

Hence, all East African citizens can enter the territory of a partner state without a visa, live there without restrictions and be fully protected by the laws of the that country.
 
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