Working together is East Africa's pathway to success
Opinion
By
Leonard Khafafa
| Nov 26, 2025
The repercussions of Tanzania’s post-election violence extended into Kenya. Commercial activity was disrupted, compelling shops to close, while transporters reported long lines of stranded trucks on both sides of the border as customs operations came to a standstill.
Similarly, during Kenya’s 2007/08 post-election violence, Uganda felt the impact. As a landlocked nation reliant on the port of Mombasa for imports, it experienced severe delays that rippled through its economy. The crisis significantly hindered manufacturing, construction and agricultural production, underscoring the region’s economic interdependence and vulnerability to political instability.
Africa seeks deeper interconnection and integration. The African Continental Free Trade Area envisions a single unified market for goods and services across the continent through the elimination of tariffs and the reduction of non-tariff barriers. To realise these broader continental ambitions, regional integration is an essential precursor.
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The East African Community (EAC), comprising Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, South Sudan, the DRC, Burundi and Somalia, represents a significant step towards this objection. The bloc has a combined nominal GDP of approximately USD 296 billion and a population exceeding 331 million. The population is expected to grow to 647 million by 20250. The EAC stands as one of Africa’s largest trading arrangements endowed with substantial potential for economic expansion and investment.
Infrastructure is fundamental to realising integration objectives. This reality is clearly illustrated by enterprises operating within the EAC. For example, the Kenya Pipeline Company, which transports petroleum products from Mombasa to Western Kenya, has enabled landlocked countries to derive meaningful value from Kenya’s coastline. Through its network, petroleum products are efficiently supplied to Uganda, Rwanda, parts of Tanzania, the DRC, South Sudan and Burundi.
Another example is Kenya’s importation of electricity generated in Jinja, Uganda. For decades, Jinja held greater prominence in the minds of many Kenyans than even Kampala. Even today, power supplied from Jinja remains essential to stabilising Kenya’s grid during periods when peak demand exceeds the nation’s own generating capacity.
Kenya’s Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) originates in Mombasa and presently concludes in Naivasha. To further underscore the importance of integrated regional infrastructure, anecdotal evidence indicates that the SGR is unlikely to reach financial viability until it is extended to Uganda through Kisumu, Busia and Malaba, as was originally envisioned.
Europe exemplifies many of the benefits associated with integrated nations. For instance, some individuals work in Paris yet choose to commute daily to Brussels, attracted by the latter’s superior quality of life and more relaxed environment. This transnational commute is made feasible by frequent high-speed train services, which reduce travel time to approximately one hour.
In contrast, the United Kingdom’s decision to withdraw from the European Union has generated a range of economic disadvantages. Its exit from the single market and customs union has introduced tariffs and customs inspections thereby elevating operational costs for businesses. Trade intensity has declined, markedly impacting both imports and exports.
Talks on integration by the presidents of Kenya and Uganda are the right way to go. As Henry Ford once said, “Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.”
Mr Khafafa is a public policy analyst