East African sibling rivalry that just won't go away, ever

The East Africa Community currently has seven member states and one application to join from Somalia. Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania are the original members from its inception in 1967.

It collapsed in 1977 but was later revived in 1990s. Since then, Rwanda, Burundi and The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have joined from central Africa and South Sudan joined after breaking away from Sudan.

The entity ran the East Africa Railway and Habours as well as the East Africa Airways, among other entities. The ideological collision between Julius Nyerere of Tanzania and Kenya’s Jomo Kenyatta led to its collapse in 1978.

Around that time, Uganda was under the leadership of Idi Amin, which ended in 1979 after the Uganda army invaded Tanzania. Tanzania sent its army to topple Amin.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) ‘s Championship of African Nations (CHAN) 2024 is being hosted jointly by the three countries under Pamoja Bid. The final will be played tomorrow at Moi International Sports Centre – Kasarani.

This tournament has revealed that there is no love lost between two of the three siblings. In football terms, Kenya and Uganda have a longer and deeper rivalry. The Kenya-Tanzania social media bout is not born from football.

Kenya has defeated Tanzania twice in their own country to lift the CEACFA championship. This happened in 1981 in Dar-es-Salaam and in 2002 in Mwanza.

Harambee Stars defeated Uganda in Kampala in 1982 in a blood and sweat duel on post-match penalties. Kenyans were ready to support Uganda if they had overcome Senegal in their quarter final.

The three were under British colonial rule after Germans relinquished Tanganyika at the end of First World War. Kenya was a colony from around 1920 while Uganda and Tanganyika remained as protectorates.

This meant that the British developed Kenya more in terms of infrastructure but they also imposed more of their culture. This gave Kenya an upper economic hand when the British left. Kampala and Dar-es-Salaam have local names for their suburbs. Kampala has Nakasero, Kamwokya and Nakawa while Dar has Mikocheni, Tabata and Mbezi. Meanwhile, Kenya has Upperhill, Westlands, Eastleigh and Lavington.

Soft power

Let us call Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya siblings born in that order as per the year they gained independence. Kenya is that younger brother who left for the city and prospered more while Tanzania as the oldest hosted the headquarters in Arusha. Whenever Kenya showed up at the EAC meetings, he had the airs of urban affluence among rural based cousins.

Tanzanians spoke Kiswahili while Ugandans spoke Luganda intonated English. Kenya spoke the kind of English the two siblings admired, very close to English of the nose of the Queen of England.

Tanzania and Uganda are food sufficient while Kenya has to import food from its two neighbours. However, Kenya exports finished products to the two. Kenya also has a higher diplomatic stature of the three countries as a host of United Nations centre. This has been changing as countries in the region flex their soft power.

Tanzania is the deeply religious sibling, the fundamental ones with rules and regulations. Idealistic base makes him to look down on his siblings despite Kenya feeling superior economically. Tanzania shared the little he had with African liberation movements and even recognized the Republic of Biafra during the Nigerian civil war. This moral courage has always given him the bravado of Pentecostal church preacher and the temerity of a low key fundamentalist.

However, like most holier than thou people, he also comes with a dark side, envy. He has always been envious of Kenya, a small brother who happens to do much better than him. This envy was concealed in flawless Kiswahili that mesmerized Africans.

Uganda on the other hand was the black sheep of the home. Born out of royalty as the British handed over the country to the King of Buganda at independence.

Things went South a few years later when the King was deposed by his Prime Minister. This led to a downward spiral of addiction to coups and counter coups.

Tanzania the idealistic brother came to their rescue openly by sending them to rehabilitation.

Kenya on the other hand is the rich brother who plays safe not to jeopardize his economic interests. Kenyans went in to smuggle their coffee as Tanzania sent in their army to restore order. After that season, HIV/AIDS went into Uganda and caused real havoc.

All in all, the three countries reached the quarter final and they all got eliminated. Let us wait for the AFCON banter in 2027, Pamoja Daima!