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Nairobi, Kenya | THE INDEPENDENT | President Yoweri Museveni has urged leaders to continue pushing for the East African Community integration to provide an extended market in the region.
President Museveni made the remarks while speaking at Kasarani Stadium in Nairobi at the swearing-in ceremony of William Samoei Ruto as the fifth President of Kenya.
For many years, President Museveni has been rooting for enhanced economic integration to ensure a stronger bloc necessary for the region’s prosperity. The East African Community now comprises seven member states including Uganda, South Sudan, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Kenya, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Somalia is also bidding to join the bloc.
Museveni, who was introduced by the new President Ruto first as “the father of our region”, said that whenever he has been following the election debates, none of the politicians has been fronting the idea of East African integration but rather they concentrated on the development of Kenya alone.
Museveni further said that in order for East Africa to catch up with developed economies such as the United States of America, countries must consider the issue of the regional market, which he says is key in improving the business sector as well as creating jobs.
Kenya and Uganda have been embroiled in a subtle trade war for a long time, the most recent hostilities between the two East African nations started in December 2019 when Kenya stopped importing milk from Uganda.
Uganda and Rwanda have also had frosty relations for many years, which led to the closure of the Katuna border in 2019. Almost three years later, efforts to repair relations yielded results when Rwanda reopened the border early this year.
Museveni also urged leaders to create wealth beyond natural resources, pointing out commercial agriculture, manufacturing, services, and information and communication technology as key sectors.
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