By Faridah N Kulumba
Africa-Press – Uganda. On 9th October 2022, the newly sworn-in President of Kenya William Ruto requested the President of Uganda Yoweri Kaguta Museveni to use his experience and age to ensure that the East African Community (EAC) achieves the much-desired political federation.
Why President Museveni in particular?
Out of seven leaders who are under EAC President Museveni is the oldest. President Ruto believes that Museveni should take on the responsibility to lead the charge because age and experience come with responsibility. He added that the region has a lot of respect for Museveni., which he should leverage to push for a united East Africa later Africa.
Museveni’s presidential experience
President Museveni 78 years is the longest-serving president of Uganda and East Africa at large. He has more than 35 years experience of being a president. He came to power on 26 January 1986 after outsing then President Milton Obote. Last week some of President Museveni’s ministers endorsed him for the presidency in the 2026 election only a year since he was elected in sith term.
The need for EAC unification
According to Mr. Ruto, it is now the right time for East Africa to transform its borders into bridges that would improve the lives of more than 300 million people. He further explained that It is the role of the leaders as the citizens of the East African region to work together so that they can transform all the seven country’s borders which today stand out as barriers and convert them into bridges so that goods and services and people can move across East Africa without any implements.
Are other EAC leaders on the same page with Ruto?
South Sudan- The President of South Sudan Salva Kiir Mayardit supported Ruto’s proposal of the East Africans coming together as the only way that the continent will be transformed economically, by saying that Africa must take charge of its destiny.
Kiir hailed Museveni for Africa by being at the forefront of ensuring that there is peace in a number of African countries including South Sudan which showed that he trusts Museveni to take charge of uniting East Africa.
Burundi- The current chairman of EAC President Evariste Ndayishimye of Burundi also supports Ruto’s proposal. He said Museveni’s contribution towards the stabilization of the East African region cannot be underestimated. He gave an example of Uganda conducting a military operation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as a testimony that insecurity in one part of East Africa needs to be confronted through collective efforts.
About EAC
The East African Community is an intergovernmental organization made up of seven East African countries including Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Kenya, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and South Sudan. It was founded in the 1960s and collapsed in 1977.
Uganda and Kenya are founding members of the original EAC, which collapsed due to ideological differences and territorial disputes within itself, but in 2000, the two countries together with Tanzania reestablished the EAC. With the intention of improving trade and bilateral ties between Uganda and Kenya.
Burundi and Rwanda joined the EAC on 6th July 2009, in December 2012, Tanzania agreed to South Sudan’s bid to join EAC, and in February 2022, the EAC of Ministers recommended that DRC be admitted as a new member state of the EAC.
Benefits of the EAC
The leaders in East African Community have built relationships and infrastructure that can benefit business people in the future if they start producing commodities that the region imports from outside Africa, in order to create employment opportunities for the people and also to stop the hemorrhaging of the much-needed foreign exchange.
East African countries still import products such as fertilizers, steel, and cement, among others yet they can be produced in the region especially since the raw materials are available.
Is EAC plays the same role as ECOWAS
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) like the EAC was established to promote economic integration in all fields of economic activity, particularly industry, transport, telecommunications, energy, agriculture, natural resources, commerce, monetary and financial questions, and social and cultural matters. ECOWAS is a regional group of fifteen countries, founded in 1975.
It was a surprise to many people to see Kenya urging President Museveni to lead the EAC unification due to the fact that in the past few years, the two African Great Lake countries have been having a cold trade war. This trade war between Uganda and Kenya is not only a threat to economic prosperity in the involved state but is also a threat to free trade in the East African Community (EAC). Unfortunately the back and forth between the two East African Community member states decreased trade volume within the region.
However, last month government official Prince Ahmed Kateregga Musaazi in an interview with Africa-Press assured that Uganda and Kenya’s trade relationship will improve due to the fact that the newly Kenyan-elected President Ruto is a businessman and an investor in Uganda. He added that like President Uhuru, Mr. Ruto is a strong believer in regional integration.
For More News And Analysis About Uganda Follow Africa-Press
