The East Africa Community: in our hearts and minds

Oscar Wilde once described economists as people who know the price of everything but the value of nothing. The same might be said of the politicians at the centre of the East African Community’s seemingly inexorable journey to the promised land of monetary and political union.

Like most other currency unions, this is a political enterprise. That in itself is not a bad thing. Dr. Gerard Lyons, Chief Economist at Standard Chartered, observes that politics was the driving force behind European monetary integration, which, despite the current problems with Greece, has been pretty successful.

According to Dr. Lyons, historically there have been four types of monetary unions. The first category has solid political unions that have ensured the monetary union's success. Examples include German Unification at the end of the last century; the longer lasting Italian Monetary Union which followed political unification in 1861; and the US Federal Reserve, established in 1913 as a decentralized system.

Patrick Gathara on understanding the East Africa community, and looking to the future.

What if it happened here?

The 7.0 magnitude quake that has flattened the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince, should give East Africans pause for thought. What if a similar quake hit here? How prepared are we? As it turns out, not very. And such an event is not as rare around these parts as some would like to think. According to Professor Chris Hartnady, a former Associate Professor in the Department of Geological Sciences at the University of Cape Town, “Large areas of the African continent are in an unstable, tectonically active, state and, especially in the mountain regions, substantial danger is posed to growing populations.” Between 1980 and April 2002, the continent was hit by over 50 serious earthquakes, resulting in over 23,000 deaths and injuries.

Patrick Gathara lays it all out, and has some suggestions on how we can best protect ourselves-- without spending too much.

News: East African Community

We continue to love the idea, at least the state does, our brothers south of the border it seems do not. East Africa Minister Amason Kingi just out of a Zanzibar conference quoted saying the Tanzanians are asking the other states to slow down in unification efforts. The Customs Union was supposed to have morphed by year end into a full common market, with equal rights for migration, property purchases, etc.

Want more?

In defence of Tanzania

Ken Tiye discusses with N.Chiume the real reasons why Tanzania is hesitant to join EAC.

The fear of competition from Kenya isn't "mere big words". It does pose serious threat to the future of manufacturing in Tanzania. And it is not true that these concerns have never been brought to the table by Tanzania. As is clear from the successful agreement in delaying the implementation of certain taxes within the EAC custom union to give manufacturers in Tanzania some time to adjust to the new trade environment.

Read more here.

Political capital from bashing Kenya?

Imagine yourself as a presidential candidate in the Kenyan general elections. You are invited as a keynote speaker in a meeting comprising of university students -drawn from all Tanzanian universities- at the University of Dar es Salaam.

What will you tell these students? Will you use the forum to campaign for presidency?

Rodgers Akombe wonders why Kenyan politicians do not dwell on issues, instead engage in irrelevant bashing of each other. After all, couldn't we discuss the East Africa Federation, political and economic integration.