Ministry of East African Community Affairs, Uganda Department of Social Affairs Hosts Inaugural CMP Subcommittee Meeting

The Ministry of East African Community Affairs, Uganda, through its Department of Social Affairs, successfully conducted the inaugural meeting of the Common Market Protocol Experts’ Subcommittee on Free Movement of Persons, Labour, Right of Establishment and Residence. The meeting was organized by Assistant Commissioner Florence Alarango, who leads the department’s efforts in advancing Uganda’s commitments under the EAC framework.

The objective of the meeting was to review the current status of implementation of the rights and freedoms under the Common Market Protocol (CMP) and to develop Uganda’s country position on critical matters affecting mobility and labour integration.

📌 Key Achievements Highlighted

• Border automation: Uganda is rolling out full automation across all land borders to facilitate electronic data capture.
• Passport upgrades: The review of passport specifications (color and biometric data quality) has been finalized, with additional verification methods, such as iris scans, introduced.
• Migration Policy: Approved and now guiding national and regional migration management.
• E‑gate infrastructure: Upgrades at arrival points are underway to ease passenger clearance.
• National Identification Register: Coverage has reached 68% (31.4 million of the projected 45.9 million citizens).
• Labour reforms: Reconstitution of the Minimum Wage Advisory Council, ratification of ILO Convention 190 on Violence and Harassment, alignment of Sexual Harassment Regulations, passage of the Occupational Health and Safety Act, and the Labour Arbitration and Settlement Act.
• Labour Market Information System: Fully functional with modules for external and internal employment, occupational safety and health, labour complaints, and labour officer information sharing.
• National Social Security Fund Regulations: Enactment of the Voluntary Contributions and Benefits Regulations.
• Inclusion of self‑employed persons: Ensuring all workers are catered for under portability arrangements.
• Public Service Pension Scheme: Introduction of flexibility and portability under the Public Service Pension Fund Act, 2025.
• Key Challenges Raised

• Continued charges for work and residence permits for Tanzanian and DRC nationals.
• Interstate passes are not recognized for the issuance of work permits, which remain tied to passports.
• Delayed implementation of the minimum wage.
• Lack of a mechanism for receiving and managing complaints of discrimination and non‑compliance.
• Delayed conclusion of the regional mechanism to facilitate portability of social security benefits.

The meeting drew updates from key institutions, including the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA), National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA), Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES), Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS), National Social Security Fund (NSSF), and Uganda Retirement Benefits Regulatory Authority (URBRA), among others.

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