Generous budgets of $4.3 million set for 9 East African research institutions

Arusha. East African Community (EAC) institutions involved in research and related activities are to benefit from hefty 2018/17 budget allocations.

While the Lake Victoria Basin Commission (LVBC) tops the list of the nine institutions with a $13.3 million allocation, $4.3 million has been set aside for the recently established East African Health Research Commission (EAHRC).

The Kisumu-based LVBC was formed in the early 2000s to coordinate sustainable development and management of the vast natural resources in the basin.

EAHRC, which recently relocated to Bujumbura from Arusha, is the principal advisory organ of the EAC on health research and development. It was operationalised three years ago to coordinate and promote health research in the region and disseminate research findings for policy formulation.

The East African Science and Technology Commission (Easteco), another newly established regional body under the EAC, is to receive $1.6 million in 2018/19.

The forthcoming financial year will see $2.3 million being allocated to the Lake Victoria Fisheries Organisation (LVFO).

The Inter-University Council of East Africa (IUCEA), the only body which survived the two-decade demise of the community from 1977, is to get $6.8 million from the regional budget approved by the East African Legislative Assembly (Eala) in Nairobi on Monday.

Easteco and EAHRC are beneficiaries of additional operational funds following the passing of the EAC supplementary budget for 2017/18.

The Kigali-based Easteco will get $200,000, while EAHRC has been allocated $473,328 from the supplementary budget for the current financial year, which ends on June 30. A total of $4.9 million was approved for the supplementary budget.