With the Coalition of the Willing Mayhem: The EAC is Threatened.

                                                                                               Katembo (2008:108) defines the East African Community as “the regional intergovernmental organization of the Republics of Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi, with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania”. He further adds that Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda were the original constituency members of the former 1967-1977 EAC. Later on 18^th June 2007, Rwanda and Burundi were accepted as new members in the community. The Coalition of the Willing is the tripartite alliance between Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda. The agreement was signed in the Kenyan Commercial city, Mombasa in August 2013 by Presidents Uhuru Kenyatta (Kenya), Yoweri Kagutta (Uganda), and Paul Kagame (Rwanda). This move has been described as an act to sideline Tanzania and Burundi which are argued to be slow moving members in the region (Walubiri, 2014). The coalition of the willing is claimed to carry various motives which also has an implication to the future progress of the community:

 The three countries aims at issuing a Single Tourist Visa (STV) in the region encompassing the coalition of the willing. Coalition of the Willing (2014) highlight that in the late 2013, the three presidents met in Kigali, Rwanda and agreed the use of a single tourist visa in their countries; this move was put into effect in January 2014 as the report states:

The three countries on January 1, this year (2014) started issuing a single tourist visa whereby Kenya would take 40% of revenues, with Uganda and Rwanda splitting the rest between them. Under the arrangement, tourists wishing to visit Kenya, for example, will be required to pay $100 (160,000) for a 90-day visa that will also enable them to tour Rwanda and Uganda. The scheme is aimed at making the three countries a single tourist destination (The Citizen 13^th January, 2014).

In that case, tourist visa expenses will not be as costing as earlier where people used $150 for a tourist visa. This is a deliberate move aimed at spearheading the tourism sector in the three countries.

The use of National Identity cards as travel documents motivated the three countries to opt for the coalition of the willing. This was agreed by three member countries of the trilateral organization on 26^th July 2013 when they met in Kigali, Rwanda. The agreement to use National IDs as travel documents in the tripartite governments was scheduled to be put in effect on 1^st January 2014; and it was indeed implemented on that day together with the use of single tourist visa as the report holds:

On 1^st January 2014, Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda also began using their respective national identity cards as official travel documents that would enable citizens to travel among the three countries- Travelers just have to present the ID cards to immigration officers at border posts ((The Citizen, 13^th January, 2014).

In this regard, the use of just a national ID aims at fast tracking the regional integration as the Rwanda’s Minister for Local Government James Musoni argued, “The use of National Identity Card as travel documents will act as a means of facilitating free movement of people and will also enhance social cohesion among the EAC population in the three countries” (Mugisha, 2013). Therefore, it can be held that, the Coalition of the willing aims at implementing the goal of free movement of people.

 The three countries aim at launching Single Custom Territory (SCT). A single custom territory in the coalition of the willing involves removal of trade barriers and customs duty on mutual trade. The member countries will also impose Common External Tariff (CET) on imports from non-member countries (in this regard, Tanzania and Burundi are subjects). The SCT is expected to help the region fasten movement of goods and reduce cost of transport. In this view, Ligami puts it that:

Under the provision of the SCT, tax on incoming goods is to be collected at a single point of entry, in this case the port of Mombasa. This is meant to ease trade within the three countries that are part of the controversial troika popularly known as the Coalition of the Willing (Ligami 14^th December, 2014).

Similarly, the use of a SCT in the region is expected to reduce the cost of transport. For example, “the cost of transporting a 20-foot container from Mombasa to Kigali is expected to drop from $383 to $193, resulting in saving of about $45million annually” (Ligami, 2014). Therefore, the port of Mombasa with the prospecting Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) from Mombasa via Malaba to Kigali is expected to make the northern trading corridor as the area for easy movement of goods.

 Having explained the motives behind the establishment of the Coalition of the Willing, it is high time to highlight its possible impact especially to the survival of the EAC:

The Coalition of the Willing creates hatred and contradiction among EAC members. In his statement as a response to the coalition of the willing the Tanzanian President protested that, “They have formed the union of the willing, who is not willing?” (Ramah, 2014). Such a statement has negative implications to the relationship between member states. It simply means that Kikwete disapproves the new organization. Aggrey Mwamu, the President of the East African law society concludes:

What we see as this so called ‘coalition of the willing’ move is a creation of clouds of suspicion and bad blood among member states that might ignite division and plant seeds of discord leading to the collapse of the EAC, just as it did in 1977. To us that coalition of the willing is not acceptable as it goes against the treaty that brought together the EAC (Ramah, 21^st January 2014).

Aggrey’s conclusion shows that the coalition of the willing is a move that contradicts the treaty of the EAC. It is sure that the 1977 EAC collapsed because of bad terms between Idi Amin and Julius Nyerere (Katembo, 2008, P.1); so, if the current contradictions are not addressed, the EAC is prior to doom.

The sidelined countries will seek new neighbours to work with. This will even complicate the survival of the region integration. It is reported that, the Tanzanian Minister for East African Affairs Mr. Samuel Sitta told the parliament that, the country will seek new friends to work with. Shomari reports what Sitta said:

We have requested Uganda to explain to us if in terms of strategic alliances, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda feel that they belong more to the northern part of East Africa. We shall re-align ourselves with South and Central African Countries but, we need to be told because these things are not done in a surreptitious and sudden manner; obviously we have to seek new alliances (Shomari, 11^th July, 2013).

This creation of the alliances of the north and south within the same East African region is with serious consequences because there will be no realization of the EAC motto “One people, one destiny”, instead there will be “One people, many destinies”. This intimidates the life of the community in general.
 A different development ideology weakens the unity in the region. In this perspective, the governments in the tripartite alliance agree to fast track while those who protest being sidelined are opting for a gradual process. This phenomenon is more or less the same with what happened in 1977 as Wachira highlights:

Kenya was an open and free market economy that welcomed and encouraged enterprise. Tanzanian economy was centrally controlled with emphasis on social equality programs, Uganda, on the other hand had, the entire economic and political systems brought down by late dictator Idi Amin. With so much divergence it was not possible for the heads of states to meet and find common ground. The collapse was inevitable (Wachira, 15^th October, 2013).

Consequently, the EAC is not at peace as some member states are obviously acting on the same ground that made the decline of the former community. If this is not critically handled, the community will completely disintegrate.

  Kenya will continue to be the leading economic power house in the region. This reality is manifested through various initiatives ushered by the countries in the Coalition of the Willing. For example, Kenya is expected to reap a great profit from her Mombasa port which will feed the landlocked Uganda and Rwanda. Moreover, Kenya is very enthusiastic to become the leading economy. This comes after the findings that Tanzania is aiming at building the biggest port in Bagamoyo. The port will be the largest of all in the region with the ability to handle 20 million cargo containers annually. This will outrun the Mombasa port which is capable of handling a mere 800,000 cargo containers yearly (Baguma, 2013). Therefore, Kenya is doing whatever it takes to control the region’s economy. Economic disparity caused the decline of the EAC in 1977. So, if Kenya’s moves are not controlled, the community will decline.

The Kigali-Dar relation will go on deteriorating as the coalition of the willing takes its way. It is true beyond reasonable doubt that Kikwete and Kagame are not in good terms. This came as a result of the advice given by Kikwete that Rwanda should open talks with the Forces Democratiques Liberation du Rwanda (FDLR) that are of Rwanda origin (the hutu). Kagame dismissed the advice and said would wait Kikwete at the right place and hit him (Nyanje,30^th August, 2013). This hide-and-seek game continues hitherto by the two Presidents. Thus, with the coalition of the willing, the two Presidents’ relations are even worse than ever. For example, just recently the appointed Tanzanian ambassador to Rwanda was rejected by Kagame saying that he was there for intelligence reasons. Frankly speaking, the two states are having bad relations which will culminate to the decline of the community.

Ultimately, with the existence of the Coalition of the Willing, the East African Community is endangered. It is very hard to guarantee its continued existence. However, there are efforts to salvage the condition before it completely gets out of control. One among them is the Ugandan President Yoweri Museven who does whatever it takes to normalize the Tanzania-Rwanda relation (Nyanje, 2013). Kikwete also had been vowing that Tanzania will never pull out of the EAC.

                          Reference:

Coalition of the Willing, (2014, January 13). Coalition of the Willing Emerges Again in EAC. The Citizen.www.thecitizen.co.tz. 

Katembo, C. (2008). Pan Africanism and Development: The East African Model. Journal of Pan African Studies, 2, (no.4). Retrieved from www.jpanafrican.com.    

Ligami, C. (2014, December 14). CoW Pushes on with Plans, Single   Customs Territory Rollout Expected January 1. The East  African. Retrieved from www.theeastafrican.co.ke/news/         

Nyanje, P. (2013, August 30). Kikwete Asks Museven to Tell Kagame  to Cool off. Africa Review . Retrieved from   www.africareview.com.

Obonyo, O. (2013, November 3). Tanzania Threatens to Pull out of   EAST Africa Community. Standard Digital. Retrieved from   www.standardmedia.co.ke/?article ID=2000096753.

Shomari, S. (2013). Coalition of the Willing is an Insult to Tanzania-Samuel Sitta. Retrieved from sundayshomari.com.

Wachira, G. (2013, October 15). Case of History Repeating itself    as EAC member States Pull in Different Directions. Retrieved      from www.bussinessdaily.com/opinion-and-Analysis.

Walubiri, M. (2014, April 30). EAC Leaders Direct on Political  Federation.New Vision: Retrieved from   http//:www.newvision.co.ug/news/.                              .

            Acknowledgments.

Special thanks Goes to Dr. C.A.Mulungu (UDSM-MUCE) for his brilliant lectures on this lesson.

My heartfelt appreciation also goes to my Colleagues(Academic Year 2013/2014); Without you, this work could not be completed:

FAIDON,Ninaye K.(B.A.Ed)

MBEHO, Mathias(B.A.Ed)

MOHAMED, Zaidath(B.A.Ed) 

MTENGA, Benson(B.A.Ed)and

NAMONDE, Bashiru.B(B.Sc.Ed).