Leaders of the eight East African Community member states have been challenged to work towards lifting barriers in order to promote free trade, improve regional integration, and facilitate free movement of their people within the region.
Speaking in Butiama, Mwanza, Tanzania, to commemorate the EAC’s 25th anniversary, Dr. Ronex Kisembo Tendo, CEO Afrika Mashariki Fest, emphasized that regional integration and promoting the principles of the late Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, the founder of the EAC, will remain a pipe dream until the respective national leaders remove the current interstate barriers.
Kisembo said: “In terms of this accumulation.” But, implementation and investigation, 50 capacities that we can emerge in terms of policy formulation. But a different interesting part of the situation is that the original integration needs to be actualized. And this is only when the young people are empowered. When the young people are supported. This is when we can realize that dream”
The conference of more than 400 delegates in Tanzania took place at Mwitongo village, the ancestral home of Tanzania’s first president, Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere, and coincided with the celebration of his silver jubilee since his death.
“The challenge we are having with the full realization of the EAC majorly is the fear of the unknown from some of the member states who feels that their resources will be exploited by other member. But the EAC remains the best idea for our region to progress.”said Nyerere
The Butiama Accord, which will require the EAC heads of state to sign in to compel the elimination of current obstacles to regional integration.
The only way to have a dynamic and functional EAC, according to Julius Odicho, a Panafricanist young man from Tanzania who works with the Afrika Mashariki Fest Organization, is for all the young people to speak with one voice.
“We, as East Africa Mashariki festival organizers, and I in particular being a member, I am proud to put it clear that we are looking for integration, integrity at different and diverse speculations in the sense that we learn from failure.” Statistically, within our platform, 70% of the youth still do not know what the East African Community is and where it’s heading to”. Said Odicho.
The youth are requesting cooperation in a number of sectors, including national airlines, tourism promotion, sports representation at international events like the Olympic Games, and the return of the usage of a shared currency.
“We want you to come and sell your goods from Kenya. As the youth, we do not want people to live in the speculations of boundaries which have got no meaning so far. They could have been meaningful during the immediate post-independent time, but not at this very present. And then as a youth, they have a great role to play in this, so that within a specific interim of time, the manifestation will manifest and become positive.” Emphasized Odicho.
The late Milton Obote’s wife, former Ugandan first lady Maria Obote, also attended the anniversary.
The Butiama Accord aims to force EAC member nations to permit cross-sectoral cooperation and facilitate the creation of formal and informal job possibilities.
