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Open letter to President Museveni
I suggest that all East African states should hold referenda to ask their people if they want their countries to form the East African political federation.
John Kabagambe.
By: Admin ., Journalist @New Vision
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OPINION
By John Kabagambe
Your Excellency, please accept my profound congratulations on your recent inauguration as President of Uganda and as the current Chairperson of the East African Community (EAC). If I were to give you an award, besides being a vanguard for peace and stability in Uganda and the Great Lakes region, I would recognise you for being the chief promoter of value addition for African commodities/raw materials, foremost campaigner for wealth creation programmes (Entandikwa, Bonna Bagaggawale, Emyooga and the Parish Development Model — PDM) and lead advocate for African trade promotion (on the global scale), instead of aid and champion for the economic and political federation of the EAC.
I toast to your numerous accomplishments, which leave no doubt that you are not only a visionary leader but a true statesman. For purposes of this article, however, allow me to focus the spotlight on the EAC.
On July 7, 2000, the EAC was revived, and 26 years later, the community has grown in membership from the original three musketeers (Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania) to eight members including (Rwanda, Burundi, DR Congo, South Sudan and Somalia). Unfortunately, as the community grows in membership 26 years down the road, there is no monetary union, and a political federation looks like a pipe dream.
Despite 26 years of inspirational speeches, grand summits, joint communiques and declarations made by the East African leaders, there is such a huge contrast between the passionate speeches and any bold steps on the ground to actualise the common dream. Are the leaders merely paying lip service to the grand dream of political federation? Can’t they see the numerous benefits for all member states and citizens, or is it that, despite the high-sounding public speeches, privately, preserving individual sovereignty is more important than seeing the bigger picture?
Surely, we have all heard about the concerns and fears of the Tanzanians about their land, but has the Tanzanian government ever held a referendum to ask Tanzanians whether or not they want to politically federate with the rest of the East African countries and they said no? Has Kenya, Uganda and the rest of the member states ever carried out referenda to ask their people? If the answer is no, perhaps its high time such referenda is high on the East African agenda, ahead of any other business, borrowing a leaf from Brexit where Britain asked the British whether they wanted to exit from the European community. Instead of this chronic foot-dragging, I suggest that all East African states should hold referenda to ask their people if they want their countries to form the East African political federation. If East Africans vote yes, there is no stumbling block to political federation. What will remain will be the legal framework. That could be a prudent option.
The other option would be for two or three willing countries (a coalition of the willing states) to declare a monetary union and political Federation, giving time for other countries to join later on. All member countries do not have to consent on the same day and at the same time. We must be realistic and pragmatic to get this thing rolling. Over to you, Nyakubahwa Perezida.
The writer is a lawyer
On July 7, 2000, the EAC was revived, and 26 years later, the community has grown in membership from the original three musketeers (Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania) to eight members including (Rwanda, Burundi, DR Congo, South Sudan and Somalia). Unfortunately, as the community grows in membership 26 years down the road, there is no monetary union, and a political federation looks like a pipe dream.
Despite 26 years of inspirational speeches, grand summits, joint communiques and declarations made by the East African leaders, there is such a huge contrast between the passionate speeches and any bold steps on the ground to actualise the common dream. Are the leaders merely paying lip service to the grand dream of political federation? Can’t they see the numerous benefits for all member states and citizens, or is it that, despite the high-sounding public speeches, privately, preserving individual sovereignty is more important than seeing the bigger picture?
Surely, we have all heard about the concerns and fears of the Tanzanians about their land, but has the Tanzanian government ever held a referendum to ask Tanzanians whether or not they want to politically federate with the rest of the East African countries and they said no? Has Kenya, Uganda and the rest of the member states ever carried out referenda to ask their people? If the answer is no, perhaps its high time such referenda is high on the East African agenda, ahead of any other business, borrowing a leaf from Brexit where Britain asked the British whether they wanted to exit from the European community. Instead of this chronic foot-dragging, I suggest that all East African states should hold referenda to ask their people if they want their countries to form the East African political federation. If East Africans vote yes, there is no stumbling block to political federation. What will remain will be the legal framework. That could be a prudent option.
The other option would be for two or three willing countries (a coalition of the willing states) to declare a monetary union and political Federation, giving time for other countries to join later on. All member countries do not have to consent on the same day and at the same time. We must be realistic and pragmatic to get this thing rolling. Over to you, Nyakubahwa Perezida.
The writer is a lawyer