The sector ministers responsible for energy, petroleum and mining in the East African Community (EAC) countries have agreed to institutionalise the East African Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (EACREEE) as an organisation of the Community. The resolution was made at their meeting held on February 14, 2025, in Arusha, Tanzania.
The Centre has hitherto existed as a non-profit and a centre of excellence under Makerere University’s College of Engineering, Design, and Technology (CEDAT), in Kampala, Uganda. It was initially approved and registered as a non-profit company owned and guaranteed by Makerere University under the laws of Uganda in 2014.
A press release issued by the East African Secretariat said, “The decision to transform EACREEE into an EAC Institution came during the 16th Meeting of the Sectoral Council of Ministers on Energy (at which they) reviewed the status of the Centre of Excellence…”
In the release, Simon Peter Owaka, the Senior Public Relations Officer, at the Arusha, Tanzania based EAC Secretariat said, “EACREEE has proved its relevance and effectively supported the (Community) and partner states in promoting renewable energy and energy efficiency.”
The Centre’s mandate – promoting renewable energy and energy efficiency for socioeconomic development, climate action and environmental stewardship – is derived from and aligned with the EAC Treaty, EAC Vision 2050, the EAC Development Strategy (2021/22 – 2025/26), EAC Energy Security Policy Framework 2018 and African Union Agenda 2063, the release stated.
According to Owaka, some of the key successes of the Centre include supporting the EAC in the development of relevant coherent regional policy and policy options including roadmaps, strategies, standards, guidelines, and frameworks. He said EACREEE is developing the EAC Regional Energy Efficiency Policy, Regional Renewable Energy Policy, Regional Minimum Energy Performance Standards for colling and a Compliance Framework.
The Centre has also facilitated capacity building in renewable energy and energy efficiency across the EAC partner states. It has conducted training for entrepreneurs, technicians, policy makers on solar energy, energy efficiency and small hydropower among others, the statement said.
Owaka added that Centre has created awareness on renewable energy and energy efficiency through publications and events. Besides, it has built partnerships and cooperated with national, regional, and international organisations in formulating and implementing of sustainable energy development programmes in the Community. These include Austrian Development Agency, Swedish International Development Agency and United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), among other development partners.
He said EACREEE has supported the EAC partners by providing equipment and other facilities. For example, they provided portable lighting testing equipment for national standards bureaus of Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, and Uganda. They are developing a regional lighting testing facility in Uganda, and supporting five Energy Service Companies in Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda with co-financing to test innovative business models in five SMEs. It has also supported in installation of electric motor bike charging stations in Kenya.
Owaka said: “It is anticipated that the institutionalisation of EACREEE will have limited or no resource implications on the EAC given that the Centre has already demonstrated its sustainability by mobilising resources and supporting its operations since its establishment without any direct cash contributions from the partner states.”
The full institutionalisation of EACREEE into the EAC is expected to drive progress in renewable energy adoption and energy efficiency promotion in the region. This will not only contribute to national and regional development but will also support global efforts to combat climate change and promote sustainable energy for all.
The East African Community (EAC) is a regional intergovernmental organisation of eight (8) partner states, comprising the Republic of Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Republic of Kenya, the Republic of Rwanda, the Federal Republic of Somalia, the Republic of South Sudan, the Republic of Uganda and the United Republic of Tanzania, with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.
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