East African Community Common Market Protocol On Free Movement Of Labour In Burundi: Prospects And Challenges

The five EAC countries as a way of moving forward with integration process, jointly established a Common Market which would provide for free movement of factors of production such as people, goods, services, money, labour, right of establishment and right to residence of the EAC citizens within EAC member states. This will be in addition to free movement of goods under the Custom Union. The protocol on the establishment of EAC Common Market entered into force on 1st July 2010, following ratification by all the five partner states and this protocol was signed by Heads of States on 20th November 2009, coinciding with 10th anniversary celebrations of the revived Community. The objectives of this paper are therefore to trace the evolution of East African Community Common Market Protocol, to examine the provisions on free movement of labour in East African Community, legal provisions on Common Market Protocol, prospects and challenges of Common Market Protocol on the free movement of labour in Burundi. The writers relied on published and unpublished materials like Treaty for the Establishment of East African Community 1999, Protocol on the Establishment of the East African Community Common Market 2009, Protocol on the Establishment of East African Community Custom Union 1999, text books and articles in journals. Others are Newspapers and Internet materials. The writers recommended that for effective free movement of labour in Burundi, there is need for elimination/adjustment of domestic laws to fit in EAC-CMP, there is need for increase on infrastructure investment in order to reduce the cost of doing business and facilitate efficiency in production, transportation and delivery of goods and services to the people of East Africa, need for promotion of joint border regular meetings and Sensitisation of Burundians about Common Market Protocol.