Nairobi-President Yoweri Museveni has urged East African leaders to continue with the East African integration to provide an extended market in the region.
He made the remarks while addressing a crowd at Kasarani stadium in Nairobi at the swearing-in ceremony of Kenya’s fifth President, Dr. William Samoei Ruto.
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 statements namely 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.
He further said that in order for East Africa to catch up with the match fancied United States economy, East African countries must consider the issue of the regional market, which he says is key in improving the business sector within the region as well as creating jobs.
It should however be remembered that Kenya and Uganda have been embroiled in a 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 southwestern Uganda despite several attempts to mend relations between the two sister countries.
After close to three years, efforts to amend the relationship yielded results when Rwanda reopened the Katuna border, which Kagame had closed in 2019.
Museveni also urged leaders to create wealth beyond natural resources by investing in commercial agriculture, manufacturing, and Information Communication Technology.
The inauguration was attended by several other heads of state including Tanzania’s Samia Suluhu Hassan, Paul Kagame (Rwanda), Burundi’s Evariste Ndayishimiye and Felix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of Congo among others
Source: URN
