East African Community’s currently undergoing many changes such as monetary union, infrastructural upgrading and attracting new members such as South Sudan. Undergoing some changes is a very good thing if basics and reality are faced. Again, looking at a slow pace "True" change is taking, it is obvious that members seem not to be serious about the whole exercise of ushering True change which mean in this case, true and whole unification of the region. EAC's like an active volcano. Sometimes, it is heard rumbling so as to hear its tremors. This is a time EAC is on the news. Sometimes, it is quite as if nothing's going on. However, this can be taken as a natural phenomenon for everything; the truth tells a different story.
Many east "Africans" are ready for a full-fledged union will it truly mean union not political hanky- panky as it currently is whereby every member's scheming for securing its interests. For instance, when Tanzanians were asked what they’d like about the union, they said categorically that they’d like a slow-but-sure union in which their interests are assured and protected. This, to me, didn't't’t augur well after noticing that in this union every country's trying to safeguard and protect what it calls its interests however short or long time, overt or covert and elusive they might be. Wow! Is there any marriage with separate interests?
When it comes to “safeguarding” interests, the concept of equality, union and sometimes fairness vanishes. For instance, Tanzanians want their country to be recognized as a pillar of EAC simply because she's much to offer in terms of resources and land compared to others. If anything, considering the size of the country helps what colonial dividers wanted to achieve when they created such tiny countries like Burundi and Rwanda. I wonder. Why’d we have smaller countries the size of some districts in bigger countries whereby we can have one solid and big country? And surely, such a move will eventuate in a very healthy and solidified country in which nobody fears that another will steal and invest in his or her country. If you want to slay and destroy the US, for instance, divide it into small states or countries like Africa is. Put it this way. If the US were to be divided like Africa, her economic clout would be history. For, it'd spend a lot on military to feed its fear of the neighbour who are now in the same territory known as the USA.
Further, by having their individual interests, EAC members prove that they’d like to use each other instead of working together for a common goal. This can’t work. Sticking on their interests encourages division among the people based on who’s what and what size. And this is logical. Who wants to lose to another? This is why Tanzania’s always been seen as an obstacle to the union.
I, for one, have been a staunch advocate for a single unitary entity that‘s EAC. I say. Demolish the borders and abolish the presidency. I’d like to see the current presidents hit the road to give room for one president of united East Africa. Without unifying the region to the tune of what it was at the time prior to 1884, all we are trying to do is like feeding a black hole. Why’s it difficult to think as one nation instead of thinking like colonial-sired small states we currently have and cling unto? Aren't we serving our colonial masters’ ploy-cum-agenda of weakening us by dividing us into tiny, and now independent, states so as to easily rule or exploit us? Why can’t we see that the perceived insecurity between and among states is the result of this division? Such fear helps arms-producing countries which are mostly the same that colonized us to sell even more arms to us so that we either butcher one another or waste a lot of time and money on feeding our pseudo fears. If Africa were a single country, the money that’s been spent on arms and wars since independence would boost its economy a great deal more. How many armies does Africa have currently? How much money do African countries spend on arms for the mere fear of their neighbouring Africans?
It is sad to note that our rulers encourage us to think like or as Tanzanians, Ugandans, Kenyans and whatnot so that they can keep their presidency while we actually lose a lot. To add salt to injuries, the same rulers are ruining our countries by blessing and embracing corruption and other vices. The Swahili sage has it, “Mficha uchi hazai,” which can be translated as “One who hides private parts won’t get a child or reproduce.”
Although it may seem as being cynical to say that our rulers are acting like colonial masters to us simply because they’re using our borders to maintain their presidency, if our people need to be united why’d our rulers refuse them to do so by clinging unto power? This is why I always know there are two conflictual forces as far as EAC is concerned namely the people who want to unite and the rulers who don’t.
Ironically, whenever we talk about union we trust the same guys who go there to make sure that their power is not touched.
Time to tell our rulers that we’re tired of their manipulations is now. I once said that I don’t see any logic for Kenyan Masai to carry a passport when visiting another Masai in Tanzania. This is worse than how it was under colonial masters due to the fact that they didn't allow us to think as one. They wanted us divided so that they can easily rule and exploit us. Now that we’re independent, why are we still feeding on the same anathema of divide and rule?
In sum, if we want a baby which is a True union, we’d all remove our clothes namely the borders and the presidency. Failure to do so for fear of exposing our nudity should not be allowed to waste the precious time and resources for our people. Let’s everybody go solo under whatever entity be it CoW, GOAT (Great Overall Autonomous Territory) or whatever. Are our rulers ready to remove their dresses?
Verily, it is time to demolish Berlin-sired States in Africa. And this time's now.
Source: Business Times Feb., 21, 2014.
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