President Yoweri Museveni has called on countries within the East African Community (EAC) and Africa to highly consider economic and political integration saying that this will strengthen their collective bargaining power in the global market.
Museveni was Friday addressing the 19th Ordinary East African Community Heads of State Summit held at Speke Resort Munyonyo in Kampala.
The Summit was also attended by Kenyan President, Uhuru Kenyatta, Tanzanian President, John Pombe Magufuli and that of South Sudan, Salvar Kiir.
Museveni noted that integration of East Africa will boost tbe production and sales of goods and services given the bigger market created.
“In Africa, we must really know what will help us to get out of poverty. The numbers matter when it comes to creation of prosperity,” he told the delegates.
Citing China whose population of 1.2 billion people has enabled that country become a big market, Museveni said; “When China opened up its economy in 1987, its economy was USD 153 billion but this has since then grown to USD 12 trillion”.
He said that he is beginning to notice a strong desire among East African member states to integrate as a means to prosperity, but advocated for the same level of interest in political integration.
The President said that East Africa is at an advantage as its peoples are compatible because of shared similarities such as language and culture.
“Unlike the European Union where different countries speak different languages and no one is willing to compromise on the main language, East Africa has Kiswahili which helps the people to communicate in all member countries,” he said.
He explained that even before considering the factor of Kiswahili, there are enough similarities among East Africans and these have enabled the leaders to come up with a draft constitution on the proposed East African Federation.
“East Africa was already integrated culturally and socially. The indigenous dialects of the East African tribes are similar. We are trying to resurrect what existed long ago and if we do not use this similarity for the prosperity of our people, history will condemn us,” he said.
President Museveni also explained that integration would help the East African Community to conserve shared natural resources such as mountains, forests and rivers.