afrol News, 23 February - Kenya has expressed concern over a row with Uganda on a small Island of Migingo in the middle of Lake Victoria saying the dispute will compromise East African Community integration process.

The East African Community Minister Jeffa Kingi said the land dispute should get immediate attention from the bloc, or the row would derail reforms and agreements reached by the bloc.

"We have a treaty that lays down procedures on how we should engage should there be a dispute," he said adding that the treaty states that the member states should embrace dialogue in such times.

Uganda claims that the island is under Bugiri District in its territory, while on the other side Kenya claims it is under Nyatike District.

Local media reports said many fishermen on the island had fled for fear of being attacked by the Uganda People's Defence Forces, which are ported to have invaded the island.

Mr Kingi said that the incidence was unfortunate given that negotiations on the establishment of a common market protocol were in top gear. The Minister said that the seventh round of the deliberations on the protocol expected to be up by 2010 had been concluded successfully.

The protocol is expected to usher in rights of residence, free movement of goods and services, capital, people and labour within the East African Community. Mr Kingi said the presence of armed soldiers in Migingo contravened the East African Community treaty.

"This incidence may be used by enemies of the community to argue that the people engaging in the negotiations are de-linked from the reality because whereas we are in board rooms the people in the ground are busy fighting," he told local news paper.

The protocol will allow free movement of people, labour, goods, capital and services, will also give citizens of the member states right of establishment and right of residence. Member states include Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and Tanzania.

The bloc was first established in 1967 with Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania but disbanded 10 years later following suspicions between member states. Later in 2000 member states signed the treaty to ratify the present body.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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