EAC gets 16 vehicles to tighten border security

ARUSHA: THE government of Japan has donated 16 patrol vehicles to East African Community (EAC) for border security operations to combat smuggling, curb cross-border crime and facilitate regional trade.

The vehicles were provided under a border security enhancement project implemented through collaboration between the EAC, the Japanese government and the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS).

Each of the EAC’s eight member states received two vehicles, which will be handed over to police departments and other relevant institutions for their intended use.

Speaking during the handover ceremony in Arusha over the weekend, EAC Secretary General, Ambassador Stephen Mbundi, urged member states to ensure the vehicles are used for intended purpose.

“Secure borders are essential to promoting trade, investment and economic development in the regional bloc, which serves a market of more than 300 million people,” Ambassador Mbundi said.

He further said that the donation followed a technical assessment of 16 One-Stop Border Posts (OSBPs), which identified inadequate transport and limited mobility among frontline officers as major challenges undermining border security and trade facilitation.

“The Sirari-Isebania border post between Tanzania and Kenya, as well as Malaba between Kenya and Uganda, among the locations he had participated in assessing. Border security and trade facilitation should not be viewed as competing objectives. Instead, a secure border creates an environment of trust that enables legitimate trade, investment and transport to thrive,” he said.

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He further said that peace and security were essential foundations for socio-economic development, adding that the vehicles would improve officers’ ability to patrol border areas, combat illicit trade and respond to cross-border crimes while enhancing public safety and the movement of goods.

Ambassador Mbundi also thanked the Japanese government for financing the project and UNOPS for overseeing the procurement and distribution of the vehicles.

He said the initiative demonstrated the value of regional partnerships in addressing shared security challenges. Japan’s Embassy Head of Economic Cooperation and Development, Mr Jin Hashimoto, said the project was particularly significant because it covered all eight EAC member states rather than benefiting Tanzania alone.

“Japan’s will keep on working with the regional bloc to promote peace, security and development, urging recipient countries to maintain the vehicles properly to ensure their long-term operational effectiveness,” he said.

Mr Hashimoto further said that border management was a challenge facing countries worldwide, making cooperation among neighbouring states increasingly important.

UNOPS Director for the East and Southern Africa Multi-Country Office, Mr Massimo Diana, said the vehicles would help improve border services, strengthen community security and make regional trade safer and more reliable.

He said the project’s success should not be judged solely by the number of vehicles delivered, but by their contribution to better services, improved security and increased legitimate trade.