NAIROBI, March 21 (Xinhua) -- Harmonization of East African nations' higher education is on course, a Kenyan official said Wednesday.

Peter Munya, Cabinet Secretary in the Ministry of East Africa Community (EAC) and Northern Corridor Development, told journalists that all the necessary policies and tools are in place to have uniform standards in tertiary education across the six East African Community member states.

"We are targeting for all higher education in the region to be harmonized by the beginning of the 2019 academic year," Munya said during the 6th Inter-University Council for East Africa (IUCEA) Academia Public Private Partnership forum and exhibitions.

In May 2016, the EAC presidents declared the trading bloc as a Common Higher Education Area.

Munya said that harmonization will enable mutual recognition of all academic qualifications. "This has the advantage of enabling graduates and professionals to move freely across the region," he said.

Munya said that harmonization will support the EAC Common Market Protocol that calls for free movement of labor across the region.

He said a harmonized education regime will also improve the competitiveness of the region's education sector and attract students from other parts of the world.