By Capt Mike Mukula
Africa-Press – Uganda. A nation without vision perishes, and a continent without integration is condemned to perpetual fragmentation. As we approach the 2026–2031 electoral cycle in Uganda and the wider East African Community (EAC), we stand at a historic crossroads.
The choices we make in the coming years will determine whether we finally unlock the promise of a united East Africa or allow the dream to fade into yet another missed opportunity.
As Chairman of the Pan African Movement (Uganda Chapter), I strongly advocate for the East African political federation agenda. This vision is not simply about treaties and summits—it is about the destiny of over 300 million Africans who share common history, languages, cultures, and aspirations. It is about completing the unfinished mission of Pan-Africanists who envisioned an Africa strong enough to chart its own course in a world dominated by powerful blocs.
We are privileged that, at this decisive moment, we still have among us President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni—an elder statesman whose vision and consistency in Pan-African ideals remain unmatched. His generation, which confronted colonialism and fought to liberate Africa from the shackles of imperialism, carries the moral authority and historical memory to shepherd this process.
If we fail to advance the political integration agenda while this leadership remains on the continent’s stage, the risk is that the federation dream may evaporate—lost in the fog of shifting politics and narrow nationalism.
The urgency is real. East Africa is today the most promising region on the continent. Our economies are among the fastest growing. Our youthful population is brimming with energy and innovation. Our geography, stretching from the Indian Ocean to the Congo Basin, is rich in resources and strategic opportunities.
Yet, our potential is hamstrung by colonial-era borders that divide families, tribes, markets, and dreams. These borders were not drawn to unite us—they were designed to weaken us, to ensure that Africans remain small, fragmented, and dependent.
A political federation is the natural antidote. It will allow us to pool sovereignty where it matters most—security, foreign policy, trade, and infrastructure—while retaining cultural diversity and national identity. A united East Africa would wield the collective bargaining power to stand tall on the global stage, whether negotiating trade deals, harnessing technology, or ensuring food security.
Let us be clear: integration is not an abstract ambition. It is the key to solving the most pressing challenges of our time.
How do we provide jobs for millions of young people entering the labor market? By creating a single regional economy that generates opportunities beyond borders. How do we ensure peace and security in a turbulent neighborhood? By building a shared defense and intelligence architecture. How do we escape dependency on foreign aid and dictate our own future? By forging economic self-sufficiency as one bloc, not six or seven vulnerable states.
If we allow this moment to pass, future generations will judge us harshly. They will ask why, when we had the chance to erase the artificial boundaries that kept us divided, we chose comfort in the status quo. They will ask why we allowed petty politics to overshadow a grand vision. They will ask why we failed to rise to the Pan-African calling of unity.
The Pan African Movement (Uganda Chapter) therefore calls upon political leaders, civil society, academia, and especially the youth—the fuel of any revolutionary agenda—to rally behind the East African political federation. Let us make this the central agenda of the 2026–2031 period. Let us move from rhetoric to action.
History has given us the gift of an elder statesman in President Museveni, whose lifelong commitment to African liberation has prepared the ground. It is now upon us to plant the seeds of political unity that will bear fruit for generations. If we squander this opportunity, the consequences will not only be regional but continental.
This is our moment. Let us seize it with courage, clarity, and conviction. For only through unity will Africa overcome the shadows of its colonial past and step boldly into a future of dignity, prosperity, and strength.
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Capt Mike Mukula is the chairman of the Pan African Movement, Uganda Chapter
Source: Nilepost News
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