Ms. Stellah Onyancha, Acting Registrar of the East African Community Competition Authority (Authority) and other staff paid a courtesy visit to the East African Business Council (EABC) on 15th April, 2025. The team from the Authority was received by Mr. Adrian Njau, Acting Executive Director of the EABC at their offices located in Arusha, Tanzania. The visit aimed at exploring areas of collaboration in promoting fair competition and enhancing consumer welfare within the EAC region.
During the meeting, the Ag. Registrar emphasized that the Authority, was established under the Treaty for the Establishment of the East African Community and EAC Competition Act, 2006. The Authority is mandated to promote and protect fair competition and to provide for consumer welfare in the Community. This mandate is achieved through regulation of the market structure by control of mergers, regulation of market conduct (monitoring and investigating anti-competitive business practices and abuse of market dominance, protecting consumer from false representations and unconscionable conduct in consumer transactions. The Authority also conducts advocacy and capacity building among its stakeholders. The Authority’s intervention is aimed at ensuring that competition is not distorted or restricted and providing a level playing field for all market participants to compete fairly and efficiently.
Mr. Njau on his part welcomed the engagement with the Authority and noted the importance of raising awareness among the private sector on the mandate of the EAC Competition Authority. He underscored that there was need for private sector actors to recognize and report anti-competitive behavior, thereby supporting a rules-based and transparent trading environment.
Key areas of collaboration discussed during the visit included:
◼Sensitization of the private sector on the EAC Competition Act, 2006
◼Private Sector engagements to inform development of the 2nd EAC Competition Authority Strategy for the period 2025/26 – 2029/30
◼Advocacy for policy review and formulation on competition policy and law.
◼Establishment of a cooperative framework between the Authority and COMESA Competition Authorities to address overlapping jurisdiction in enforcement of competition issues;
◼Development of a Simplified Guide on the EAC Competition Act,2006 for businesses and consumers.
The Ag. Registrar was accompanied by Mr. Vincent Okoth, Deputy Registrar (in charge of Mergers and Acquisitions) and Mr. Dennis Kabbale, Competition Expert.
