BY SUKHDEV CHHATBAR
President William Ruto has called for faster and more practical integration of the East African Community (EAC) that would enable free movement of goods, people and capital across the region.
In a landmark address to Tanzania’s Parliament in Dodoma last Tuesday, President Ruto said the region’s prosperity depended on unity and coordinated action.
“Kenya and Tanzania must lead from the front, because the success of our partnership is the foundation upon which the EAC will thrive,” explained President Ruto.
President Ruto emphasised closer cooperation between Kenya and Tanzania as the backbone of EAC success, calling for the removal of trade barriers and alignment of regulations and policies to create a seamless regional market.
“The time for declarations is over; what our citizens expect now is implementation that makes the free movement of goods, people and capital a lived reality across East Africa,” he said.
He highlighted the importance of modern trade corridors, linking the ports of Mombasa and Dar es Salaam to support intra-African trade and unlock growth for landlocked states.
The address underscored renewed push for an EAC that was efficient, competitive and citizen-focused as he also stressed the need for stronger political trust and regular high-level dialogue among EAC partner states to prevent recurring trade disputes, a tough bone to crack as at least three of the partner states don’t quite see eye to eye.
President Ruto also rallied joint investment in energy, digital infrastructure and industrialisation, noting that those sectors were crucial for job creation, especially among youth, who are getting increasingly restless across the region.
The Kenyan leader also trumped regional peace and security cooperation, warning that instability in one country affected the entire bloc. He urged lawmakers to support policies that strengthened shared institutions and to fast-track implementation of agreed regional frameworks, saying the EAC must deliver tangible benefits to ordinary citizens.
