Leadership integrity is key to the success of the East African Community
When the East African Community (EAC) collapsed in 1977, it did so not just because Kenya demanded for more seats than Uganda and Tanzania in decision-making organs of EAC but because there was generally a lack of integrity, trust and selflessness among the leaders at that time. With its restoration in 2000, the EAC is making strategic leaps towards political integration. However the ultimate political integration is going to heavily depend on the extent through which the political leaders in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi seek to fulfill the core values of the regional bloc as opposed to undertaking individual self-seeking projects. While regional cooperation may be important in developing constructive relations between states, it cannot be assumed that pooling resources to provide public goods for populations and creating platforms for dialogue regarding shared interests will automatically follow. Despite the high hopes raised by the re-ignition o...