The just ended CAF African Nations Championship (CHAN, 2024) tournaments unearthed some cagey and duplicitous incongruities of the East African Community (EAC). For those who bothered to honestly dissect it, it left the EAC with egg on its face and some good lessons, which we can’t push under the rag. Up to now, I don’t know why Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda jointly hosted the games.
How were they awarded this honour as if they’re the only East Africa countries? What does this say about the EAC, especially the countries, which joined after the three founding countries? Was there any consensus among all East African Countries? Did the conveners consider the first EACs? If so, why? If not, why only three countries? Again, are the three the only official countries of East Africa if we legally refer to the EAC?
What are the adverse ramifications hither for the others? Why were the ‘rests’ of EAC not part of this honour, which served many interests economically and politically? Were they consulted? If yes, what did they say, and what were the reasons of their decisions? If not, why? How was the decision to appoint the three countries above reached? There are many more questions than answers.
Local Organiser Committee chair, Nicholas Musonye was quoted by the Daily Nation (August 19, 2025 ) as saying that due to the rivalry, selfishness, and short-sightedness of the three countries, there was an absence of key emblematic elements, namely the mascot, theme song, and local organising committee. This is not because these countries didn’t know the significance even symbolism of these missing elements. One of the reasons revolves around greed, selfishness, and myopia.
The three countries have their different national symbols. It wasn’t possible to display all three symbols. Therefore, the EAC symbol, if it ever exists, would have footed the bills. Regarding them song, the same applies. The three, if were true on the same boat, would have composed the song. If they consulted me, I’d have advised them to settle on Sina Makosa of Les Wanyika to signify that they have no rivalries.
Major bottleneck
Who would believe that the citizens and fans of one country would throw a party after one of the team of the host country was forced out of the games? Who? Again, it happened. Much of rivalries was between Kenyans and Tanzanians, which can trace their roots to colonial times when British who colonised Kenya and later got Tanzania as protectorate treated Kenyans more preferentially than Tanzanians.
As for Uganda, despite being a British colony alongside with Kenya, the British didn’t like it simply because it had organised and powerful empires, which were at par with theirs. Therefore, when the three countries got their independence, colonial masters left coloniality abaft, and it’s gone on haunting and hunting our countries and our people. Due to such coloniality, greed, myopia, and to refuse to learn, the EAC union has never been actualised.
A major bottleneck is the fact that there is a deficit of democracy almost in all EAC countries. If there were true democracy, the people of EAC would easily unify their countries. However, the obstacle has always been their rulers who cling to their statehouses and the emoluments that come with them.
A lack of democracy has created corrupt dictatorial and parasitic regimes, which also attract opportunists from within and without to plunder their resources. This causes a lot of miseries, which provoke conflicts in some countries that equally attract foreign enemies who, in the end, disturb peace and engage themselves in corruption and illegal supply of weapons.
Coloniality and historicity
When the EAC countries were colonized, they found themselves allying with different colonial masters. Kenyans were allied to Britain as its blue-eyed boy while Tanzania and partly Uganda after independence allied with the East in their quests of becoming socialist countries. This created a chasm that’s prevailed up until. Being a Tanzania who once lived in Kenya and oft travelled to Uganda, among others, I know how the citizens of the two countries despise and distrust each other. Jomo Kenyatta used to say that Tanzania was an ‘eat-nothing society’ while Julius Nyerere used to say that Kenya was a ‘man-eat-man society’. Have candour, coloniality, and rancour between the two ceased or changed?
As for Ugandans, after Tanzania defeated and overthrew Idi Amin and liberating Uganda, and Tanzanians or wakombozi literary liberators became good buddies who get along easily and well. I remember the many Ugandan refugees with who I taught in Tanzania. Thanks to this. I’ve already contributed 28 pieces to the DM compared to only six to the DN. Also, Tanzania cloned Museveni who has performed wonderfully by staying in power for close 40 years apart Muhoozi Keinerugaba who’s born in Dar.
In sum, what’s been ongoing among the EAC countries isn’t sibling rivalry but coloniality, greed, and myopia.
How were they awarded this honour as if they’re the only East Africa countries? What does this say about the EAC, especially the countries, which joined after the three founding countries? Was there any consensus among all East African Countries? Did the conveners consider the first EACs? If so, why? If not, why only three countries? Again, are the three the only official countries of East Africa if we legally refer to the EAC?
What are the adverse ramifications hither for the others? Why were the ‘rests’ of EAC not part of this honour, which served many interests economically and politically? Were they consulted? If yes, what did they say, and what were the reasons of their decisions? If not, why? How was the decision to appoint the three countries above reached? There are many more questions than answers.
Local Organiser Committee chair, Nicholas Musonye was quoted by the Daily Nation (August 19, 2025 ) as saying that due to the rivalry, selfishness, and short-sightedness of the three countries, there was an absence of key emblematic elements, namely the mascot, theme song, and local organising committee. This is not because these countries didn’t know the significance even symbolism of these missing elements. One of the reasons revolves around greed, selfishness, and myopia.
The three countries have their different national symbols. It wasn’t possible to display all three symbols. Therefore, the EAC symbol, if it ever exists, would have footed the bills. Regarding them song, the same applies. The three, if were true on the same boat, would have composed the song. If they consulted me, I’d have advised them to settle on Sina Makosa of Les Wanyika to signify that they have no rivalries.
Major bottleneck
Who would believe that the citizens and fans of one country would throw a party after one of the team of the host country was forced out of the games? Who? Again, it happened. Much of rivalries was between Kenyans and Tanzanians, which can trace their roots to colonial times when British who colonised Kenya and later got Tanzania as protectorate treated Kenyans more preferentially than Tanzanians.
As for Uganda, despite being a British colony alongside with Kenya, the British didn’t like it simply because it had organised and powerful empires, which were at par with theirs. Therefore, when the three countries got their independence, colonial masters left coloniality abaft, and it’s gone on haunting and hunting our countries and our people. Due to such coloniality, greed, myopia, and to refuse to learn, the EAC union has never been actualised.
A major bottleneck is the fact that there is a deficit of democracy almost in all EAC countries. If there were true democracy, the people of EAC would easily unify their countries. However, the obstacle has always been their rulers who cling to their statehouses and the emoluments that come with them.
A lack of democracy has created corrupt dictatorial and parasitic regimes, which also attract opportunists from within and without to plunder their resources. This causes a lot of miseries, which provoke conflicts in some countries that equally attract foreign enemies who, in the end, disturb peace and engage themselves in corruption and illegal supply of weapons.
Coloniality and historicity
When the EAC countries were colonized, they found themselves allying with different colonial masters. Kenyans were allied to Britain as its blue-eyed boy while Tanzania and partly Uganda after independence allied with the East in their quests of becoming socialist countries. This created a chasm that’s prevailed up until. Being a Tanzania who once lived in Kenya and oft travelled to Uganda, among others, I know how the citizens of the two countries despise and distrust each other. Jomo Kenyatta used to say that Tanzania was an ‘eat-nothing society’ while Julius Nyerere used to say that Kenya was a ‘man-eat-man society’. Have candour, coloniality, and rancour between the two ceased or changed?
As for Ugandans, after Tanzania defeated and overthrew Idi Amin and liberating Uganda, and Tanzanians or wakombozi literary liberators became good buddies who get along easily and well. I remember the many Ugandan refugees with who I taught in Tanzania. Thanks to this. I’ve already contributed 28 pieces to the DM compared to only six to the DN. Also, Tanzania cloned Museveni who has performed wonderfully by staying in power for close 40 years apart Muhoozi Keinerugaba who’s born in Dar.
In sum, what’s been ongoing among the EAC countries isn’t sibling rivalry but coloniality, greed, and myopia.
Source: Daily Monitor Sunday today.
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