EAST AFRICA COMMUNITY: IS IT ON THE VERGE TO COLLAPSE?

Jesus died resurrected from the dead and ascended to heaven. He is seated on the right hand side of the father, the Holy book says. Christianity further promises us that we shall also die, rise and ascend to heaven. As Christians believe without seeing, hence I also accept it as true.

 When east African community collapsed in 1977 and resurrected in 1999, from the Christianity point view, it should now live an eternal life. EAC’s resurrection wasn’t an easy walk, Presidents Moi of Kenya, Mwinyi of Tanzania, and Museveni of Uganda signed the Treaty for East African Co-operation in Arusha, Tanzania, on 30 November 1993, and established a Tri-partite Commission for Co-operation.

It was finally revived on 30 November 1999, when the Treaty for its re-establishment was signed. It came into force on 7 July 2000, twenty-three years after the total collapse of the defunct erstwhile Community and its organs.

A customs union was signed in March 2004 which commenced on 1 January 2005; which never yielded visible results. Under a customs union, member countries remove trade barriers amongst themselves and harmonise their policy towards the third country.  Kenya, for example the region's largest exporter, continued to pay duties on goods entering the other four countries.

A vibrant Coalition of the Willing (COW)

How comes that ‘Coalition of the Willing (COW)’, Charles Oyango-Obbo once termed it under the essence Nothern Corridor Infrastructure Summit  hatched by ‘Emperor’ Museveni in July last year is gearing towards a vibrant Economic Integration. This COW under hard working ‘cowboys’ may be on the move to kick Tanzania and Burundi out who are members of the well known and recognised East African Community?.

 Kagame and Kenyatta officially launched the use of national IDs by citizens of Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda to travel anywhere among the three countries while travelling to attend the 4^th Northern Corridor Infrastructure Summit in Kampala. Under stages of economic integration, this called Common Market-last stage which is characterised by free movement of factors of production like capital and labour among member states.

COW members at the third Northern Corridor Infrastructure Summit-Rwanda in October 2013 agreed to set up a single customs territory to facilitate trade as one of the resolutions. It was attended by Presidents Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya, Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, Paul Kagame of Rwanda and Salva Kiir of South Sudan once again in absence of senior members Tanzania and Burundi.

COW member further agreed to abolish work permit fees for Kenyans and Rwandan citizens from January 1, 2014 at the same Kigali summit

On 28^th November 2013 at the launch of standard gauge railway in Mombasa, Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda signed a Trilateral Agreement to expedite development of the high-speed railway connecting Mombasa to Kampala, and onwards to Kigali.

Other important indicators on serous economic integration that have come to light among COW include launch of a single tourist visa and plan for the construction of the oil pipe line connecting Rwanda and Uganda to the Kenya.

Tanzania committed to the East African Community

Amidst frustration,  Jakaya Kikwete, president of Tanzania has on many occasions declared that they will not quit the East African Community and will do everything in its power to make sure the community survives and becomes prosperous despite efforts by Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda to side-line them.

Kikwete while attending SADC and IGAD Joint Summit in South Africa early November last year met Presidents Uhuru Kenyatta and Yoweri Museveni, engaging them to find out exactly what is the origin of the problem and try to improve relations

Both Tanzania and Burundi attended and signed the early December 2013 East African Monetary Union Protocol (EAMU) which provides a road map to the common currency of the east African community.

Tanzania and the new allies

In late October 2013, Tanzania divulged intention to pattern with DRC and Burundi with the view of establishing economic and trade relations. Tanzania further revealed the plan to construct a railway line from Uvinza in Kigoma region to Msongati in order to connect the country with DRC 

Tanzania was among countries that sent troops under SADC umbrella with South Africa and Malawi which flashed out M23 rebels from Kivu province. Defeated M23, under direction of their commander captain Sultan Makenga Uganda crossed into Uganda. Both Uganda and Rwanda had been accused of supporting of these rebels. Until now no one know where they are, or what they are doing.

Tanzania has also promised send troops to South Sudan as Uganda’s troops prepare to depart in April. It has promised one battalion to the troubled world’s youngest nation. This battalion will be part of the UN peace keeping Mission.

As Jakaya Kikwete like Museveni and Kagame uphold the burden of pacifying the region, Tanzania could be on the move to create a new political- economical alliance that will hut it when COW finally kicks it out of the East African Community.

No doubt, the fissure between the Southern Corridor- Tanzania-Burundi and the Northern Corridor continue to deepen the question is will it be bridged?, when?, where?, how? And by who?.  

The author is an undergraduate Journalism and Communication student at Makerere University