The Consul General of Uganda in Dubai, Ambassador Henry Mayega and the Consul General of Tanzania in Dubai, Idi Seif Bakari have resolved to manage East African Community (EAC) Diaspora Affairs in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
It is estimated that there are over 300,000 East Africans in the UAE. These include about 80,000 Kenyans, 100,000 Ugandans, 70,000 Tanzanians and sundry.
Speaking to Eagle Online, the two ambassadors resolved to jointly work together as Consul Generals of the East African Community to prepare for the COP27 meeting of world leaders on climate change; that meeting will take place in Dubai next year.
“We resolved to work together to manage the EAC Diaspora by segmenting it into five categories namely: (a) Professionals, (b) Service Providers that is to say drivers and security personnel, (c) Maids, (d) Long living immigrants (those who have stayed for long – say 20 years, (e) Temporary wage workers – say those who worked on construction sites for a specific period of time,” Amb. Mayega said.
He added that they agreed that East African Community Consul Generals form a deanship and meet regularly to discuss economic, political and cultural links specific to East Africa Community and share information on business deals offered by UAE-based business communities to countries in the region.
“Sometimes, such deals are offered but the capacity by anyone country to fulfill the quantities required by the buyers lack,” he said.
