Regional integration : problems and prospects of the East African Community

Abstract

This study highlights the challenges facing the East African Community, established by the three East African Countries. The study was conducted against a background of regional integration of the East African countries through the creation of the East African Community. The study is premised on the belief that there are a number of challenges facing the establishment of the Community that have hindered it's taken off and only if we reconsider and find solutions to these challenges, can we pave the way for the successful integration. The general objective of the study was to analyze regional integration by examining the problems and prospects of the East African Community. The specific objectives of the study were to; critically examine the current objectives and activities of the integration effort; establish the economic and political factors that facilitate or constrain integration; analyze strategies laid by the EAC to overcome the problems that failed earlier attempts towards regional integration; and to establish the existence prospects for the successful integration of the East African Community. This study was confined to the period from 1961 when the East African Community was established to the present. The first chapter constitutes the background, and statement of the problem, objectives of the study, the scope and the justification of the study. The chapter discusses the development of international organization and the developments in the world, which show the need to organize the world in regional compartments or global lines. It is followed by chapter two, which is made up of the review of the related literature in order to get an insight in to various theories of international organization and an attempt is also made to cast the functionalist theory in light of neo-functionalism, considered the first and most enduring grand theory of European integration. This chapter attempts to give a wider view on regional integration on the globe providing a comparative assessment between the EAC and other regional groupings like the ED, OAS, ASEAN, ECOW AS, among others. Chapter three of this study constitutes the methodology used in the research outlining the research design, key respondents interviewed, sources of data collected research instruments used, and methods employed in data analysis. Important to note is that the research was qualitative in nature. It involved transcribing information, organizing the data and coding, and interpretation before the results were presented in chapter 4. The fourth chapter reveals the prospects and challenges of the East African Community. It outlines a number of problems/challenges facing the EAC as well as the prospects. It analyses the strategies laid by the EAC in overcoming these challenges and it proposes solutions to the problems identified. Data is adduced on attempts to revive East African Cooperation and, in addition to examining the opportunities or prospects that exist like the current international regime and the political good will, it identifies critical concerns for successful integration including confidence building and strengthening the East African identity, ensuring participation and ownership of the process and private sector development among others. Finally the study gives a conclusion to the study and a number of recommendations to the EAC to ensure successful integration, which include: compensating losers, identifying priorities among priorities, developing infrastructure, and investing in research and development, among others.