The fate of the East African Political Federation hangs in the confusion of “fears of the unknown rather than anything concrete.” Hon. Maj. Gen. Mugisha Muntu said on Friday 11th at a conference in Makerere University.
Despite the gains which have so far been accrued like the establishment of the Customs Union, confusion still looms on whether there should be a fast tracking of a Political Federation. Talks and consultations have been on-going in three East African countries on the way forward. Should there be a gradualist process which foresees the consultation and establishment of the Common Market, Monetary Union, Economic Federation and later Political Federation.
With the Customs Union protocol already in its early stages of implementation, the discussions on the Common market protocol are going on. The timeline for the consultations is two years. This process, as opposed to the Customs Union, which involved Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania will also bring on board Rwanda and Burundi which were newly admitted to the EAC.
The people of East Africa would wish to get to know how they’ll benefit from this integration process. Whereas it’s “still hard to get work permits in some member countries, borders should be opened,” Hon. Mugisha articulated.
While Hon Mugisha put forward the suggestion that all the integration processes should be done within the umbrella of a Political Federation, other people disprove this. Consultations carried out in Tanzania indicate that 25% of those consulted favour the fast tracking of a Political Federation. In Uganda and Kenya, 56% and 65% support the fast tracking process respectively.
Mr. Bweseli Akabway, who chaired the committee for the fast tracking process in Uganda, revealed the findings from Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania show an eagerness with which more than 70% of the populations consulted, wish to see the dawn of the East African Political federation.
Specific observations as political, economic and social recommendations were notably diverse in the three member countries.
“In Tanzania, people need to be sensitised about domestic land tenure system,” Akabway stated. Similarly, there is the need to build their (Tanzania’s) capacity to improve competitiveness in trade and industrial sector.
Recommendations from Uganda indicated the need for member countries to open up their labour market and representation in leadership. The issue of Buganda federation also needs to be addressed to remove the bottlenecks it is likely to project.
Recommendations from the people consulted in Kenya show the need for not only the drafting of a federal constitution, which should be adopted through referendum encompassing the people of East Africa, but also the procedure of universal suffrage and rotational voting for the federation president and the legislators.
On Economic recommendations, Mr. Akabway enumerated that “the people of East Africa would like to see more tangible benefits from the integration process.”
Social recommendations foresee the rigorous promotion of Kiswahili among member states, especially Uganda and harmonisation of the education curriculum from schools to university.
However, there is still debate on how this process should be conducted.
Mr. Brian Bwesigye from the School of Law expressed the need for a grass-roots based approach in the on-going consultations for the integration process. The leaders tend to betray. This explains why the prospects for the East African Federation were in 1977. It was due to the differences between the deceased presidents, Idi Amin of Uganda, Julius Nyerere of Tanzania and Jomo Kenyatta of Kenya.
“This elitism disease is killing us,” Mr Bwesigye decried. He dismissed particular confusion on the way forward for the integration process as a confusion of the selfish minded leaders. “Which to start first? Are we doing Political or Economic integration?”
There should be a clear cut process that involves religious, cultural and other grass-roots leaders as well. The process should be devolved from the elitist cocoon. But, in the face of some rigid leaders some of who have traversed the political divide from the 1960s, political will might pose a greater challenge than the little mayhems already foreseen.
Joshua Masinde.
Despite the gains which have so far been accrued like the establishment of the Customs Union, confusion still looms on whether there should be a fast tracking of a Political Federation. Talks and consultations have been on-going in three East African countries on the way forward. Should there be a gradualist process which foresees the consultation and establishment of the Common Market, Monetary Union, Economic Federation and later Political Federation.
With the Customs Union protocol already in its early stages of implementation, the discussions on the Common market protocol are going on. The timeline for the consultations is two years. This process, as opposed to the Customs Union, which involved Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania will also bring on board Rwanda and Burundi which were newly admitted to the EAC.
The people of East Africa would wish to get to know how they’ll benefit from this integration process. Whereas it’s “still hard to get work permits in some member countries, borders should be opened,” Hon. Mugisha articulated.
While Hon Mugisha put forward the suggestion that all the integration processes should be done within the umbrella of a Political Federation, other people disprove this. Consultations carried out in Tanzania indicate that 25% of those consulted favour the fast tracking of a Political Federation. In Uganda and Kenya, 56% and 65% support the fast tracking process respectively.
Mr. Bweseli Akabway, who chaired the committee for the fast tracking process in Uganda, revealed the findings from Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania show an eagerness with which more than 70% of the populations consulted, wish to see the dawn of the East African Political federation.
Specific observations as political, economic and social recommendations were notably diverse in the three member countries.
“In Tanzania, people need to be sensitised about domestic land tenure system,” Akabway stated. Similarly, there is the need to build their (Tanzania’s) capacity to improve competitiveness in trade and industrial sector.
Recommendations from Uganda indicated the need for member countries to open up their labour market and representation in leadership. The issue of Buganda federation also needs to be addressed to remove the bottlenecks it is likely to project.
Recommendations from the people consulted in Kenya show the need for not only the drafting of a federal constitution, which should be adopted through referendum encompassing the people of East Africa, but also the procedure of universal suffrage and rotational voting for the federation president and the legislators.
On Economic recommendations, Mr. Akabway enumerated that “the people of East Africa would like to see more tangible benefits from the integration process.”
Social recommendations foresee the rigorous promotion of Kiswahili among member states, especially Uganda and harmonisation of the education curriculum from schools to university.
However, there is still debate on how this process should be conducted.
Mr. Brian Bwesigye from the School of Law expressed the need for a grass-roots based approach in the on-going consultations for the integration process. The leaders tend to betray. This explains why the prospects for the East African Federation were in 1977. It was due to the differences between the deceased presidents, Idi Amin of Uganda, Julius Nyerere of Tanzania and Jomo Kenyatta of Kenya.
“This elitism disease is killing us,” Mr Bwesigye decried. He dismissed particular confusion on the way forward for the integration process as a confusion of the selfish minded leaders. “Which to start first? Are we doing Political or Economic integration?”
There should be a clear cut process that involves religious, cultural and other grass-roots leaders as well. The process should be devolved from the elitist cocoon. But, in the face of some rigid leaders some of who have traversed the political divide from the 1960s, political will might pose a greater challenge than the little mayhems already foreseen.
Joshua Masinde.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment