On Friday, November 29, President William Ruto advocated for the East African region’s union into a single nation.
While there are no firm plans to address this, it would have far-reaching ramifications for countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo and Somalia.
While addressing the 24th Ordinary Summit of East African Heads of State in Arusha, Tanzania, Ruto made a major proposal to regional Heads of State, which would have considerable benefits and drawbacks for the area.
“When the founding fathers, Jomo Kenyatta, Julius Nyerere, and Milton Obote, came up with the East African Federation then, it did not go as far as they had envisioned,” he stated.
“We must commend Tanganyika and Zanzibar then, who took the bold step and created the United Republic of Tanzania.“
Then, my question is, why did the union, which began in 1964 (1967), and birthed the Zanzibar-Tanganyika unification, go on to stagnate? It should have continued to Kenya and Uganda so that it achieves the goal of the forefathers,” Ruto added.
While it may provide enormous benefits such as a better economy, a larger pool of resources, greater bargaining power in global affairs, and increased security, among others, it may also give rise to huge limitations.
“Consequently, Tanzanians have a debt to the people of East Africa that the unity that was figured out by our founding leaders, that started with only Zanzibar and Tanganyika then, must not stop there,” he asserted.
“You have an explanation to us why it should not move on and become what it was intended to be.”
“Therefore, as East Africans, we demand that we complete this journey of consolidating this East Africa into what our forefathers thought about. And I think that is the journey we are discussing in the political confederation,” he went on.
The EAC summit was scheduled to bring together regional leaders to address critical regional concerns and debate measures for accelerating economic integration, strengthening the region’s resilience to climate change, and combating insecurity.
For example, there is a lack of clarity about who will lead the region, the burden of individual countries’ concerns, the risk of a lack of citizen cohesiveness and collaboration, and a slew of policy and legal issues, to name a few.
Ruto referenced the initial purpose of the East African Federation’s founding fathers, Jomo Kenyatta (Kenya), Julius Nyerere (Tanzania), and Milton Obote (Uganda), which was to integrate the region through the East African Federation.
He went on to use the example of Tanzania and Zanzibar, which united to form the United Republic of Tanzania, claiming that the two provided the pattern for consolidation.
Ruto then tasked Tanzania and its President, Samia Suluhu, with promoting his idea throughout the region. Ruto went on to describe it as a ‘debt’ to East Africans.
