Of Bihogo Cow and EAC’s White Elephant; A Letter to My Friend in Masaka

Dear Ivan,

From my Primary Five social studies, I can clearly recall our uncle, a term we used to refer to teachers back in days, teaching us about what could have led to the collapse of the East African Federation. I may not list them all here, but the principal will remain that for any effect there is a cause just like the death of a ‘mere cow’- Bihogo led to the fall of the great Chwezi empire.

Historians note that the Chwezi empire and dynasty was an extremely vast and likely to have been covering the entirety of West, South and Central Uganda, along with some parts of Kenya,Tanzania, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Since my primary five, I have been wondering why something small like cow led to the collapse of the praised demigods’ empire?

There have been efforts to make the East African block a single federation all way from 1917. This begun with the establishment of customs unions between Kenya and Uganda which Tanzania, then Tanganyika joined in 1927.  By 1948, the customs union evolved to give birth to the east African high commission which also later developed into east African common service organization perhaps in 1961.

According to available records, the East African High Commission provided a customs union, common external tariff, postage and currency. It also hampered common services in transport and communication, research, and education among others.

Although the colonial masters failed to unite the east African countries; then Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, the founding fathers of these independent countries mooted a similar suggestion to form east African federation and strategies to achieve their dream where put in place but still the idea failed to breed result since the castle had been built on sand and eventually collapsed.

It is said that the collapse was among other issues based on Kenya’s bossy and likely supremacy over other members when it asked for more seats on different organs which were running the several projects. Okay, others may like to include the Amin-Nyerere factor.

Sometimes in November 1993 Mr. Yoweri Kagutta Museveni who was fresh a daring in the region together with Daniel Alop Moi and Hassan Mwinyi declared expressed their interests of reviving the east African community by signing a Tri-partite Commission for Co-operation and in no time tripartite programmes of co-operation in political, economic, social and cultural fields, research and technology, security, and legal affairs started and in 1999 the EAC had been fully revived.

To me I have not established in which interest was the revived regional body, was to achieve the unachieved desire of the colonial master, was it for the current leaders or for the people and forward development ofthe the three countries? I might not answer this question due to the lack of proof to defend my assumption.

The community has passed in thorns, creepers, valleys and mountains to date where we stand having welcome new members including Burundi, Rwanda and the recently added South Sudan. However, this currently the thing, as the locals in central Uganda might say, is shaking.

At times I wonder and perhaps believe that although there are external forces which would like to see the community moving to forget personal interest (ideology and vision if they may better words) of some of the leaders, the thing is not moving and some members feel like suffocating within. Was it last year when I read an article in the east African newspaper quoting several political and systems analysts arguing that apathy is failing the community?

A number of project set out by several bodies of the communities are turning into white elephants and a lot of diplomatic woes are increasing seen even though some establishments like that in Kampala have been shying away saying all is good.

One of the strongest pillars of the EAC was to strengthen economic and infrastructural development among member states. To achieve this, several treaties on trade, movement of people, goods and services were signed but as I write this several media reports indicate that the Rwandan government whose beef with their counterparts in Kampala is growing by day has closed off the borders over a number of reasons and this has only failed a series of events.

Is EAC for better or for worse?

20:03 EST 28^th Feb 2019 at my residence in Nansana.