Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni has revealed that his ultimate dream is the federation of East African countries which will see all EAC member states federate into one political bloc under one president.
Museveni’s remarks were prompted by demands his supporters a day after his 80th birthday celebrations held in Kijaguzo and Kawumu where his family and supporters gathered in prayers to praise God for the president’s protection and blessings. In a statement released today, Museveni said he later learnt that he did not make a wish as is a norm on birthdays.
“..Yesterday, the Muzzukulu Hellen Seku told me that as a baby boy birthday celebrant, I had not told my well-wishers my birthday wish. Since I have not been in the culture of celebrating birthdays, I did not know about that element. In order to rectify the matter, fellow Ugandans and Africans, forgive the ignorance of the recent birthday celebrant and here below is my birthday wish:
Fellow Ugandans and fellow Africans, pray and work hard for the realization of the dream of the Pan-Africanists for the creation of the East African Political Federation and the consolidation of the Continental Free Trade Area. These are in order to achieve the 3 historical missions of: ensuring prosperity for the wealth creators and all Africans by creating a big market for our products; ensuring our strategic- security against all threats to us on Land, in the Air, at the Sea and in Space by creating powerful integrated defence systems of the Political Federations where feasible; and using the brotherhood of the African Peoples to achieve these two- prosperity and strategic security. Here ends my birthday wish.
The Political Federation is the ultimate goal of the EAC Regional Integration, the fourth step after the Customs Union, Common Market and Monetary Union. It is provided for under Article 5(2) of the Treaty for the Establishment of the East African Community and founded on three pillars: common foreign and security policies, good governance and effective implementation of the prior stages of Regional Integration.
It is worth noting that attainment of the Political Federation is a process and not an event. Though the process has been slow, the EAC Heads of State resolved at a Special Summit held in Nairobi on 27-29 August 2004 to examine ways and means of deepening and accelerating the process through a fast-track Mechanism. The Summit set up a Committee to Fast-Track the EAC Political Federation, dubbed the Wako Committee, to carry out wide consultations and finalise the work on the Political Federation. The Committee presented its report to the Summit on 29 November 2004.
As a result of the consultative process, the office of Deputy Secretary-General responsible for Political Federation was established in 2006 to coordinate this process.
Since 2004, the EAC has been putting in place initiatives to fast-track political integration. Summit directives were given and national consultations with stakeholders between 2006 and 2008 as well as various studies were undertaken to examine, facilitate and fast-track the process. In the consultations, it became clear that the East African citizens want to be adequately engaged and to have a say in the decisions and policies pursued by the East African Community.
On 20th May, 2017, the EAC Heads of State adopted the Political Confederation as a transitional model of the East African Political Federation. Observers however opine that leaders of original member states (Kenya in particular) are skeptical about political federation which they see as Museveni’s retirement project.
I have others (wishes) but Seku told me that only one is allowed. This is what our elders- Wazee, Mwalimu Nyerere, Nkurumah, ModiboKeita, Sekou Toure, Jomo Kenyatta, Tom Mboya, Grace Ibingira, Mwai Kibaki, Arap Moi, Jaramogi Odinga, Ngombale-Mwiru, Joseph Nyerere, Joe Murumbi, Abeid Karume, etc., with us the young People behind them, have been struggling for, for all these years.
Mwalimu Nyerere, offered to delay the independence of Tanganyika so as for Uganda and Kenya to become independent at the same time and become one country. It was a mistake not to take up this offer. Otherwise, Africa may become a Latin America in Africa instead of being a United States of Africa in Africa.
God bless all of us.
Signed:
Yoweri K. Museveni
Ssaabalwanyi,
Omugurusi.
