East African Federation (EAF) public Views

East African Federation (EAF) public Views

Na Maggid Mjengwa,

MCHEZO wa ngumi una taratibu zake. Yanaweza kutokea madhara makubwa ulingoni kama taratibu hizi hazifuatwi. Hii ni pamoja na mtu kupoteza uhai. Mathalan, inapotokea mabondia wawili kutaka kuwania ubingwa wa uzito wa juu, basi, mabondia hao ni vema wawe na uzito wa juu. Kama sivyo, basi walau uzito wao ukaribiane.

Kama bondia mmoja ana uzito wa kilo mia na mpinzani wake kilo hamsini, basi, meneja makini wa bondia mwenye kilo hamsini hawezi kukubali kumwingiza bondia wake ulingoni. Na hata akithubutu kufanya hivyo, meneja makini wa bondia mwenye kilo mia, anaweza kuingiwa na busara ya kutomwingiza bondia wake ili kuepusha madhara yatakayotokea. Hata hivyo, hilo la mwisho ni nadra sana kutokea. Hii inatokana na hulka ya mwanadamu kupenda kutanguliza maslahi binafsi.

Lakini, meneja wa bondia mwenye kilo hamsini anaweza kuamua kumwingiza bondia wake ulingoni kama atajiridhisha, kuwa bondia wake, pamoja na uzito mdogo, bado ana mbinu na maarifa ya kutosha kuweza kummudu mpinzani wake mwenye kilo mia.

Katika hili la Tanzania kama nchi kujiunga na Shirikisho la Afrika Mashariki, tunahofia, kuwa kunaweza kuwa ni sawa na meneja anayemwingiza ulingoni bondia wake katika mazingira niliyoyaelezea hapo juu. Busara ni kwa meneja huyo kumwandalia bondia wake mazingira ya kumfanya aongeze uzito wake ikiwa ni pamoja na mbinu na maarifa kabla ya kuingia ulingoni.

Unapozungumzia Shirikisho unazungumzia ushindani, hususan wa kiuchumi miongoni mwa watu watakaounda shirikisho. Watu hawa wanshirikishwa kwenye kushindana, iwe kwenye ajira na mengineyo. Tunasema hivi kwa vile hata ndani ya shirikisho, Wajaluo watabaki na ujaluo wao, Wakikuyu na Wabaganda vivyo hivyo.

Mara ya mwisho nilipokuwa nchi jirani ya Kenya nilishtuka sana mara ile dereva wa teksi alipojitambulisha kwangu kwa jina lake na kabila lake. Kwa hapa nyumbani sijapata kukutana na dereva wa teksi aliyejitambulisha kwangu kwa namna alivyofanya Mkenya yule.
Hakika, kitendo kile cha dereva yule wa teksi kilinifanya nichukue muda kutafakari kwa kina. Ni hapo nilizidi kuuona ugumu uliopo katika kufikia azma ya kuwa na shirikisho la nchi za Afrika ya Mashariki ukijuumuisha pia Rwanda na Burundi.

Hakuna haja kwa sasa kukimbilia kwenye shirikisho. Katika mazingira ya sasa, bado tunaweza kushirikiana kama watu wa Jumuiya ya Afrika ya Mashariki katika maeneo tutakayokubaliana,iwe kiuchumi au kijamii. Ushirikiano huo tayari upo, lakini si lazima kuunda shirikisho kabla hatujawaandaa watu wetu vya kutosha. Ni nia nzuri ya kuwa na shirikisho, lakini tunadhani muda haujafika kwa hilo.

Na kama ni kupata maoni ya kweli ya Watanzania, basi wasiulizwe kwa kuzungukiwa na kamati ya kukusanya maoni. Badala yake kuwepo na kura ya maoni.. Kura hiyo ya maoni itanguliwe na elimu ya kijamii juu ya shirikisho na yote yenye kuhusika nayo. Mashirika ya hiyari na makundi yenye kupinga shirikisho kwa sasa nayo yapewe nafasi ya kuwaelimisha Watanzania ni kwa nini Shirikisho halifai kwa sasa.

Tunadhani, kukimbilia kwenye shirikisho ni kuwakimbiza Watanzania kwenye zizi ambalo wataishia kuwa ni ngombe wenye kunyanyasika. Watanzania hawako tayari kwa sasa kuwa ngombe wanyanyasika mbele ya jirani zao. Kulazimisha jambo hili ni kujenga chuki isiyo ya lazima miongoni mwa majirani hawa.

Tunadhani, kutokana na mazingira yao, ikiwemo ukosefu wa ardhi ya kutosha, Wakenya wengi wangependa liundwe shirikisho ili nao wapate fursa ya kuja Tanzania. Waje kama nchi ya shirikisaho na kupata fursa sawa kama Watanzania ikiwemo kugombania ajira kwenye soko la ajira la Tanzania, kugombania ardhi pia. Jambo hili laweza kuchochea chuki miongoni mwa Watanzania dhidi ya jirani zao, hii itatokana na Watanzania kujiona wako chini kulinganisha na wenzao wa Kenya.

Ni vema tukatambua, kuwa kuingia kwenye shirikisho kwa sasa ni kuwaingiza watu wetu kwenye ushindani wa kiuchumi bila ya kuwaandaa vya kutosha kuikabili mikiki mikiki hiyo. Uduni wa elimu yetu ukilinganisha na nchi jirani na sisi ni moja ya hatari zilizo mbele yetu, kwamba tutawaingiza Watanzania wengi kwenye shirikisho bila kuwa na misingi mizuri ya elimu.
Tunahitaji kusubiri kwa kujipa muda. Hata majirani zetu nao pia wanahitaji kusubiri. Kabla ya shirikisho, nchi zetu hizi zijikite katika kuendesha michakato ya kujenga mataifa yao kwa kuanzia na kuondoa tofauti za kikabila na kimaeneo. Ni ajabu sana kuzungumzia kuunda shirikisho la Afrika Mashariki litakokuwa na Rais mmoja, bunge na mawaziri wa shirikisho wakati katika nchi kama Uganda wanahitaji kuwa na shirikisho lao la ndani. Uganda leo inahitaji kuwashirikisha Wanyankole, Wabaganda, Wa-Acholi na wengineo wajisikie kama Waganda.

Kenya nao wanahitaji shirikisho la Wajaluo, Wakikuyu na wengine kabla ya kufikiri juu ya shirikisho la Afrika ya Mashariki. Tanzania nasi tunahitaji kutafuta majawabu ya kero zetu za Muungano kabla ya kufikiri kuwaingiza Wapemba na Waunguja kwenye shirikisho

Hakika, kabla ya kuota kuwa na Rais wa shirikisho, serikali za nchi zetu hizi zinapaswa kuiendeleza michakato ya ndani ya kuboresha demokrasia na kujenga misingi ya utawala bora.
Inavyoonekana sasa, mradi huu wa kuundwa kwa shirikisho ni mradi wa viongozi zaidi kuliko wananchi. Viongozi wanatuomba wananchi tutoe maoni yetu juu ya shirikisho wakati wengi wa wananchi hawajui hasa ni kitu gani wanachokitolea maoni.
Kama tutaupuuza uhalisia hu
u, basi, mradi huu wa Shirikisho utabaki kuwa ni Mradi wa Marais wa nchi hizi badala ya kuwa ni mradi wa wananchi. Katika nchi zetu hizi, tunapaswa kwanza kutatua matatizo yetu ya ndani ya kijiografia, kisiasa, kijamii na kiuchumi kabla ya kupanga kuunda shirikisho.

Tunahofia pia, kuwa shirkisho halitajengeka katika misingi ya usawa. Kwani, Tanzania kama nchi, ina hatari ya kuwa ya tatu na pengine ya mwisho kimadaraja. Elimu ni sababu mojawapo itakayopelekea tubaki nyuma.

Naam. Historia ni mwalimu mzuri. Tuziangalie historia zetu kwanza ili tujiweke katika hali nzuri ya uelewa na kutafuta yale ya kimsingi tutakayokubaliana kwa pamoja. Kwa kuingalia historia ya Afrika ya Mashariki, inaonyesha wazi, kuwa Tanzania kama nchi inapaswa kujiadhari na kumezwa na nchi nyingine, kwamba ibaki kama ilivyo hususan kwenye nyanja ya kisiasa.

Itakumbukwa, hata miaka kabla ya uhuru, wazo la kuwepo kwa shirikisho la kisiasa kwa nchi zetu hizi liliwekwa pembeni na watawala. Na katika hili la sasa, yaani shirikisho, tunahofia, kuwa azma kwa wengine yaweza isiwe ni kwa maslahi ya wengi bali ya wachache kwa kutumia udhaifu wa nchi moja au mbili wanachama wa shirikisho.

Hakika, uwepo wa shirikisho unahitaji muda mrefu wa maandalizi. Kwa mtazamo wangu, Watanzania tunahitaji zaidi ya miaka 30 kutoka sasa. Miaka 30 ya kuandaa mazingira ya kuwepo kwa shirikisho litakodumu kwa muda mrefu zaidi. Na pengine kizazi cha Watanzania watakaojitambua kama raia wa Afrika Ya Mashariki bado hakijazaliwa. Lakini, misingi yake tunaweza kuanza kuijenga sasa. Kwa makala zaidi na picha, tembelea; http://mjengwa.blogspot.com
 
Maggid,
Nimeisoma makala yako, kuna mengine nakubaliana na wewe na kuna mengi hatukubaliani. Kwa ujumla wazo la shirikisho ni zuri. Mwungano wowote ule unaofanyika unawapa nguvu wale walio ndani yake. Kisiasa na kiuchumi.

Shida ya hali yetu hivi sasa kuhusu mwungano wa Afrika mashariki ni kwamba hatuna uongozi. Au uongozi umeamua kuweka mikono yao kifuani na kulirusha suala hili kwa wananchi bila ya kuwapa maelezo ya pande zote, faida na hasara. Umetumia mfano wa mwanabondia mwenye uzito mkubwa na ule wa kilo hamsini kuwa hawa hawawezi kuwekwa jukwaa moja.

Lakini tukiangalia EU hawa walielewa umuhimu wa mwungano hata kama nchi zote hazikuwa jukwaa moja. Kuna wakati lira ya Wataliani ilikuwa kichekesho. Lakini leo imeimarika kwa sababu ya mwungano huo wa EU.

Kinachokosekana hivi sasa Tanzania ni sauti za uongozi: kuelezea manufaa ya mwungano badala ya kuangalia hasara eti Wakenya watamiminika na kuchukua nafasi zetu za kasi n.k n.k Ingekuwa enzi za Nyerere hili tatizo lisingekuwepo kabisa, lakini leo tuna rais ambaye amekunja mikono kifuani eti wananchi waamue. Wananchi wataamuaje kama hakuna mtu wa kuwaelimisha?
 
Maggid ana mawazo mazuri.Wananchi wa nchi hizi zote ambazo zinataka kuunda shirikisho bado hawajui shirikisho ni nini. Sasa ni jukumu za serikali zote na vyama vyote vya siasa vilivyo katika nchi hizi kuwaelimisha wananchi wao. Kuna wale ambao wanapinga shirikisho na wale ambao wanataka shirikisho. Wote hawa watowe hoja zao kwa wanachi.
Halafu wanachi wapewe fursa ya kupiga kura YES or NO. Matokeo ya kura hizi ndio ambayo yataamua tuunge shirikisho au vipi. Kwa mfano wanachi wa Kenya,Uganda,Rwanda na Burundi wakipiga YES na wanachi wa Tanzania wakipiga NO basi Kenya ,Uganda, Rwanda na Burundi wataanza kuunda hilo shirikisho. Tanzania itabakia nje na halafu baada ya miaka fulani ipigwe tena kura.Kwa mfano mpaka sasa Norway iko nje ya EU lakini inafanya biashara na nchi zote za EU kwa vile Norway,Denmark na Sweden wana Scandinavian agreement.Norway ina utajiri wa mafuta na ndio maana hawakutaka kujiunga na EU.Watu walipiga kura na kusema NO to EU.

EU imeundwa kwa muda mrefu(zaidi ya miaka30 kwanza ilikuwaEEC.
"
Fifty years of fraternal rivalry
By William Horsley Writer on European affairs
The European Union claims it has secured peace among historical enemies, spread democracy to its neighbours and created a new model of international co-operation. But none of that was pre-ordained. The milestones of the past 50 years tell a story of bitter national rivalries, personality clashes and tortured compromises which have threatened the project's survival more than once and may do so again in the coming years.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6453889.stm
"So the 2005 crisis over the draft European constitution brought together an explosive mixture of disputes and resentments, over the EU's power structures, its foreign policy orientation and social policies, in one moment of decision.
Not surprisingly, something snapped - the patience of French and Dutch voters, who said No."

Kweli kuna nchi nyingine kama Ugiriki,Spain zimenufaika katika kujiunga na EU, ingawaje vitu vimekuwa ni ghani sasa.
Tukiangalia katika umoja wa fedha bado UK,Denmakr,na Sweden wanatumia fedha zao katika manunuzi ya kawaida na sio Euro.

Haraka haraka haina baraka. Huu ni msemo weto kwa hiyo afadhali tuchukuwe kama miaka hiyo 30 ama 50 kuunda shirikisho badala ya kuharakisha.
 
I was born in Tanzania. My family left for Canada when I was 6. I haven’t been back since 1983.

I think all East Africans need to look at the big picture and consider the benefits of merging into an East African federation (EAF):

1. Increased Investment:
The 3rd world countries that attract the largest foreign direct investment are the ones that have large populations: Brazil, India, China etc. In Africa, Nigeria has been a magnet for large scale investment despite being extremely corrupt. Large multi nationals such as Siemens, Peugeot, Michelin etc have plants in Nigeria employing thousands. Unemployment in Nigeria is actually low compared to East Africa. An East African federation with a population upwards of 100m will be a magnet for large scale investment and reduce unemployment tremendously. Every large multi national will have to give consideration to the EAF because it will become such a huge market.

2. Increased leverage:
A higher population will give EAF more bargaining power and leverage to get better trade deals. As it is now, Europeans can push each of these countries around because we have no leverage. We basically have to agree to all their demands. Once united, it will be much harder for the western powers to push the EAF around. They will not want to antagonize the EAF because many of their companies will have invested huge amounts in the country.

3. Pooling of natural resources:
Individually each of these countries does not have the capacity to exploit the available natural resources. Thus they have to seek outsiders help. And when this happens, outsiders make a ton of money while the locals remain poor. By pooling together all the expertise and natural resources available the EAF will be better placed to exploit the resources available. For example, natural gas In Tanzania combined with Oil in Uganda would make it possible to establish a vibrant Petrochemical industry and export processed goods instead of just exporting cheap raw materials.

4. Human resources:
Companies like to invest in areas where there is a large pool of qualified professionals. By pooling together all the brain power available the EAF will be in a better position to attract investment from companies like IBM which is eager to set up in places where they can find abundant talent. And Tanzanians should not fear having to learn the ropes from Kenyans. Multi nationals in Tanzania are eager to hire Kenyans because they can come over to Dar and impart their expertise to the locals. As a result, the Tanzanian workers benefit from learning from Kenyans.

5. Tourism:
By making the whole region available to tourists , the number of tourists will increase dramatically due to freedom of movement among all 3 nations. A tourist can scale Mt Kenya today, visit the Serengeti tomorrow and fly over to Uganda the next day without any travel restrictions or extra paperwork.

6. Global Players:
The most influential countries today are the high population ones. Small countries are doomed to obscurity and cannot effectively fight for their rights. India and China are rising rapidly mainly because they have found ways to leverage their huge populations.

7. Increased competition in the Private sector will make companies more efficient and eliminate the poorly performing ones. The companies that survive will grow further , merge and be able to spread their wings to other countries.

8. More choices for the public:
Private sector competition means that if a Tanzanian consumer wants to try a Ugandan beer like Bell, he is free to do so. If he wants to try a Kenyan bank, such as StanChart, he is free to do so. The public will have choices. Companies will be competing for customers and will thus be forced to lower their prices. The public will benefit from lower prices and more choices and higher efficiency.

Granted this issue needs to be approached carefully. The public must first be educated. The 3 nations must in the meantime try to merge services, customs, currency, transport etc. A referendum must then be held to let people decide if they want a federation. If the measure passes by 65% in each country then another referendum should be held to let the people vote on a new constitution. They key issue is that it must be driven by people and not by politicians.

Right now I think many people are ill informed and are making judgments without looking at the big picture. If the EAF makes this work, you will be leaving a legacy of prosperity for your children. And you will be showing the world that Africans can indeed get their act together. It’s a path to prosperity and more opportunities.
 
Sean is quite right. We live in a world where economics of scale count. There is strength in unity. Singly, we are weak and unimportant, but together, we cannot be ignored.

We must also not lose sight of what we, in Tanzania, will gain. We cannot look only at what we might loose. We will gain some and loose some, but it is my considered opinion that we will gain a lot more than we will loose. Sean has gone into the details of some of the gains. On a lighter note, imagine what a powerful sports nation an East African Federation will be! We in Tanzania will have all the sportsmen in Kenya as our compatriots. We will at last end the shame of being beaten at everything, and by everybody.

What makes some people think that land ownership systems will change as soon as we become part of a federation? We united with Zanzibar without threatening land ownership on either side of the union. Ancestral lands will remain ancestral lands, with or without a federation. Land will gain value, and that will add greatly to the wealth of all these land-owning Tanzanians!

There is also a human dimension to this. Man does not live on economic considerations alone. An East African Federation that includes Rwanda and Burundi will bring stability to these nations. That is worth a lot to them, and to us as their concerned neighbors.

We cannot beat them, let's join them.

Augustine Moshi
 
There are always positive and negative sides of everything. Most people are not opposed to the East African Federation but what they say is that its not the right time now. They need more time to understand the meaning of a Federation and the reasons of a Federation, the advantages and disadvantages of a Federation. The government has to explain this to the people since it has chosen to collect views and that is the right democratic procedure.

Let us take the example of EU after 50 years, form EEC to EU.We can learn from this that some countries will be please having East African Federation and others will be not pleased for joining the federation. This will always be the case.

Poll shows strong Euroscepticism

In the run-up to the EU's 50th birthday a Financial Times poll has found that 44% of Europeans think life has got worse since their country joined. The FT/Harris online poll surveyed 6,772 adults in Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Spain. US citizens were also asked questions about the EU. Just 22% of the Europeans questioned thought their country should pull out of the 27-nation bloc, however.

UK respondents were the most negative about the EU draft constitution. German Chancellor Angela Merkel - currently holding the EU presidency - wants to get agreement on a roadmap for EU institutional changes by June, setting 2009 as the deadline for adoption of a constitution.

When asked what they associated most with the EU, 31% of the FT/Harris poll respondents said the single market, 20% bureaucracy, 9% democracy and 26% other factors. In the UK, 52% of those questioned said things had got worse since joining the EU, while in Spain 53% said life had improved.
 
Mauritus is leading Africa in GDP (purchasing power parity) Je wameungana na nani? Nchi hii ina population of about 1.3 million na life expectancy yao iko kwenye 72 years.

Increased investment inaingia Tanzania kutokana na uwezo wake ambao imejijengea kutoka kupata uhuru sio kwa sababu ya kuungana na hizi nchi jirani. Kitu ambacho kinaonekana ni majirani zetu kuchukua hii advantage baada ya kuboronga sera zao.
 
Most if not all EU countries have benefitted immensely from being in the EU. Greece would never have hosted the Olympics in 2004 without financial aid and technical assistance from the EU. Poll after poll of EU citizens finds that most want to stay in the EU. There are a few disgruntled elements especially those who have lost jobs. But the overall benefits outweigh the drawbacks. Believe me countries like France & Germany would not stay in the EU if they were not benefitting.

I am glad Augustin brought up sports because sports can be an engine for economic progress. Kenya is excelling in some international sports such as cricket, rugby etc. many kenyans are now making good money as professionals in Europe playing such sports. Tanzanians can learn too. Those who are talented enough can get exposure and possibly an opportunity to play in Europe. This gives the youth a chance to earn a living and hence reduces unemploment. Right now Kenya is about to host the world cup for cross country. The city of Mombasa will benefit immensely economically. A united EAF will be able to pool together the stadiums in all countries and host even larger events. A unified football league pitting teams like Yanga, Simba, Express, Tusker, APR etc will be a huge crowd puller and generate money.

regarding foreign investment, the amount of increased investment that Tanzania is currently getting is paltry. And when you do research you find that mosty of that investment comes from Kenya. Its a joke when compared with say Egypt of Nigeria. Foreign direct Investment in Nigeria is 10 times higher than all of East Africa combined ! Check the statitsics

As for mauritius, its such a small country. Small countries such as Luxembourg and Kuwait always have high GDP per capita. If mauritius had a high population, they would have a low GDP. In any case their economies of scale are too small for them to be influential. In order for a country as big as tanzania to start reducing poverty significantly, we need huge amounts of foreign direct investment. The amount of foreign investment coming into Tanzania right now is too low and it has very little impact on most people. Is poverty being reduced even as the economy grows ? No because the benefits are not reaching the grassroots.
 
Yes indeed Greece and Spain as well were poor countries in 1970’s but have benefited a lot from aids coming from EU. I conducted myself research in Greece and have worked as consultant in Spain.
The fact that foreign direct investment in Nigeria is 10 times higher than all of East Africa combined is due to the Oil deposits in Nigeria. However, the Nigerians are as poor as their brothers and sisters in East Africa. The BP SHELL takes most of the Nigerian oil profits.

I agree with you while saying “The amount of foreign investment coming into Tanzania right now is too low and it has very little impact on most people. Is poverty being reduced even as the economy grows ? No because the benefits are not reaching the grassroots.” Even if we can secure a large foreign investment it will have a little effect to the grass roots.

But the people living around mines in Tanzania have seen developments since the foreign mining companies are contributing in building schools, hospitals ,roads as well as employing them. In this way the help is also reaching the grassroots without the help of East African Federation.
Remember all those countries that will form the federation are poor countries that will wait for foreign investments from EU,USA and China!
 
As much as i support the proposed Political federation, some of my fellow Kenyans still believe the process is being hurried, read more

http://www.nationmedia.com/dailynation/nmgcontententry.asp?category_id=1&newsid=94249

Kenyans not ready for Federation

Story by MICHAEL MUGWANG'A
Publication Date: 3/22/2007

Kenyans do not want an East African political federation just yet.

They say the decision to federate was done without their input and feel they are only being used as a rubber stamp.

Yesterday, a public forum convened by the National Consultative Committee at Charter Hall in Nairobi, turned stormy when speaker after speaker argued that they were not ready for any federation.

Huruma Location chief Kenneth Mutung'u addresses Nairobi residents during a national sensitisation meeting on fast-tracking of East African Federation at Charter Hall yesterday. Photo/PAUL WAWERU.

Most said they did not even know what the community was all about and the process should be abandoned.

It was only after the process was restarted by consultations at the grassroots level that it can be taken to the leadership level, they said.

A rubber stamp

Others argued that Kenya still has to deal with its own ethnic suspicions before it can approach the other partners in negotiations for greater unity.

'‘We are failing in most of our quest for development in unity because of our tendency to initiate programmes from the top, only going to the common person for a rubber stamp,'' said Ms Nelly Njeri, a representative of the informal business people in Starehe, Nairobi.

And John Onyango Auma from Mathare thought there was something fishy since the leadership had already resolved to unite and even set a date for the federation before coming to the public.

'‘Why has it taken you so long to consult us. You started negotiating in 1994 and have now set 2013 as the year you want to form the federation, and you come to us for a rubber stamp,'' Mr Auma told the committee headed by Mr Njuguna Ngunjiri.

Ms Hindu Sharma from Shauri Moyo expressed reservation that once formed, the federation was likely to perpetuate the trend of stiffling the voices of the downtrodden for the benefit of the rich and famous, since it had been conceived with that background.

It took Mr Ngunjiri and his group a lot of time to explain to the forum that the decision to integrate had a long way to go.

But this was not easily bought since the opportunity for the public to give their views came after Mr Prabhudas Pattni, a member of the committee, had explained to them the structures that have already been put in place.

Mr Pattni said the three states had agreed on a customs union, were working on a common currency and have set up professional institutions in the region.

Among these, Mr Pattni said, were the East African secretariat, the East African Trade Union Council, the East African Youth Council and the East African Magistrates and Judges Association.

The committee official also said the three heads of state had composed a summit, a council of ministers and appointed ministers of East African Community in their respective countries.

Women also had their misgivings about the committee's composition. It has only two women among over 20 men.

At the regional level, speakers say the economic imbalance among the countries has to be sorted first. Others thought the difference in education systems would also pose a problem since Kenyans may not be comfortable going back to a system they abandoned years ago.

Exchange programme

Speakers also proposed a cultural and education exchange programme, among the countries, before they can tell whether the people were compatible.

But an official of the committee said, again to the ire of the crowd, that an East African Examinations Board was already in place and would work to harmonise the systems.

Even as they sought to discredit the regional community as it were, many thought the spirit was right but only if the approach was changed.

Mr Peter Onyango, a former employee of the now defunct regional airports authority, said the federation needed to be fast-tracked so that he and his colleagues, who lost jobs with the collapse of the East Africa Community in 1977, can finally get their benefits.

He also used the forum to ask the Kenyan Government to consider paying them what was due.

'‘Most of my colleagues have passed on without being given their benefits, the Government should pay us or we only have to await until 2013 when this federation comes up to pay us,'' said Mr Onyango.
 
Mr Pattni said the three states had agreed on a customs union, were working on a common currency and have set up professional institutions in the region.

Among these, Mr Pattni said, were the East African secretariat, the East African Trade Union Council, the East African Youth Council and the East African Magistrates and Judges Association.

The committee official also said the three heads of state had composed a summit, a council of ministers and appointed ministers of East African Community in their respective countries.

Women also had their misgivings about the committee's composition. It has only two women among over 20 men.

At the regional level, speakers say the economic imbalance among the countries has to be sorted first. Others thought the difference in education systems would also pose a problem since Kenyans may not be comfortable going back to a system they abandoned years ago."

At the regional level, speakers say the economic imbalance among the countries has to be sorted first. Others thought the difference in education systems would also pose a problem since Kenyans may not be comfortable going back to a system they abandoned years ago."

I think the warning given by President Karume has to be repeated here" Don't force people into federation" On the other hand if the information given by Mr.Pattni is reliable, the three Presidents have already decided the formation of the East African Federation by the year 2013. Only six years from now! Come what may.

What is this whole idea of collecting views? Tanzanians are not ready and Kenyans also are not ready for the federation. Can't their views change the decision of the three heads?
 
Daktari

Nigeria gets a lot of FDI due to oil. But it also gets huge investmentes from industries that have nothing to do with Oil. Peugeot is making cars in Northern Nigeria, IBM, Motorola and a host of other companies as well.

I am not suprised that Kenyans disagree with the EAF. The leadership are trying to rush into head long without doing the groundwork or educating the public and answering their concerns. This process should ideally take several years.
 
Mkenya
Mr Peter Onyango, a former employee of the now defunct regional airports authority, said the federation needed to be fast-tracked so that he and his colleagues, who lost jobs with the collapse of the East Africa Community in 1977, can finally get their benefits.

He also used the forum to ask the Kenyan Government to consider paying them what was due.

'‘Most of my colleagues have passed on without being given their benefits, the Government should pay us or we only have to await until 2013 when this federation comes up to pay us,'' said Mr Onyango.
'‘We are failing in most of our quest for development in unity because of our tendency to initiate programmes from the top, only going to the common person for a rubber stamp,'' said Ms Nelly Njeri, a representative of the informal business people in Starehe, Nairobi.


Fast-tracking can help few individuals to get paid, and others to get better jobs and hide behind the community bureaucracy. I thought only in Tanzania people were not paid by this Kenyan Government (as I recall Kenya Government paid some money to Tanzania Government few months ago), at least now the beans are split and we start to know the whole truth about this rotten idea of Union. Kenyans don't want it Tanzanians don't want it, so who wants it? Few corrupt leaders to benefit themselves.
 
This information might be useful when referring to Education in East Africa:

Universities in Tanzania:

Total: 14

DAR ES SALAAM INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

HUBERT KAIRUKI MEMORIAL UNIVERSITY

INSTITUTE OF FINANCE MANAGEMENT

INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL & TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY

MAKUMIRA UNIVERSITY COLLEGE

MOUNT MERU UNIVERSITY

MUHIMBILI UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF HEALTH SCIENCES

MZUMBE UNIVERSITY

OPEN UNIVERSITY OF TANZANIA

SOKOINE UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE

ST AUGUSTINE UNIVERSITY OF TANZANIA

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF LANDS AND ARCHITECTURAL STUDIES

UNIVERSITY OF DAR ES SALAAM

ZANZIBAR UNIVERSITY

Kenyan Universities: Total 23

AFRICA NAZARENE UNIVERSITY

AFRICAN VIRTUAL UNIVERSITY

CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF EASTERN AFRICA

DAYSTAR UNIVERSITY

EGERTON UNIVERSITY

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF KENYA

JOMO KENYATTA UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE AND TECHNOLOGY

KABARAK UNIVERSITY

KENYA CHRISTIAN INDUSTRIAL TRAINING INSTITUTE

KENYA METHODIST UNIVERSITY

KENYA SCHOOL OF PROFESSIONAL STUDIES

KENYATTA UNIVERSITY

KIRIRI WOMEN'S UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

MARYKNOLL INSTITUTE OF AFRICAN STUDIES NAIROBI

MASENO UNIVERSITY

MOI UNIVERSITY

MOMBASA POLYTECHNIC

STRATHMORE UNIVERSITY NAIROBI

SWISS MANAGEMENT ACADEMY

TANGAZA COLLEGE

UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY

UNIVERSITY OF EASTERN AFRICA BARATON

UNIVERSITY OF NAIROBI

Ugandan Universities: 13 Total

BUGEMA UNIVERSITY

BUSOGA UNIVERSITY

CENTRAL BUGANDA UNIVERSITY

ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY IN UGANDA

KAMPALA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY

KYAMBOGO UNIVERSITY

MAKERERE UNIVERSITY

MAKERERE UNIVERSITY BUSINESS SCHOOL

MBARARA UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

NDEJJE UNIVERSITY

UGANDA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY

UGANDA MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE

UGANDA MARTYRS UNIVERSITY

Ranking?

OK: Read this 1st

Several audiences and user communities are (or should be!) interested in ways of measuring and comparing university performance on the international stage. These include:
  • Prospective students and their parents
  • Current students
  • Alumni
  • Faculty and research staff
  • University administrators
  • Business and industry
  • Government officials
  • Political leaders
  • Everyone who recognizes that the intellectual and economic well being of their society depends on a thriving and competitive university sector (i.e. in an ideal world ... everyone!)
As noted above - the health of every country's university system has a direct bearing on the economic and social prosperity of the nation and its future. But universities are paradoxes of archaism and modernity, encapsulating intellectual liberalism in organizational conservatism. They fiercly defend their right to govern their own affairs, while demanding public support through taxes and tuition fees. They have excelled at defining their own missions, identities and concepts of academic quality and value.

Universities, however, are not immune to the forces of globalization that are shaping the rest of the world. The countries whose university systems have dominated the last century(ies) cannot safely assume that this dominant position can be maintained. Nor should they assume that the form and function of universities in the next century will follow the norms and practices of the last one.

The development of metrics and benchmarks is a significant step on the road to analyzing and understanding the performance of any organization, and universities are no different.

Just because this is a tremendous challenge does not mean that we should not attempt it. And we shall!


In accordance to Webometrics.info here are the results showing the rankings of our Universities:

University of Dar es Salaam (Tz) is on line 13 in Africa and 3,403 in the World Rank

Egerton University (Kenya) is on line 21 in Africa and 4,110 in the World Rank

University of Nairobi (Kenya) is on line 24 in Africa and 4,483 in the World Rank

African Virtual University (Kenya) is on line 33 in Africa and 5,049 in the World Rank

Strathmore University Nairobi (Kenya) is on line 50 in Africa and 6,236 in the World Rank

Makerere University (Uganda) is on line 54 in Africa and 6,429 in the World Rank

Moi University (Kenya) is on line 64 in Africa and 6,807 in the World Rank

Sokoine University of Agriculture (Tz) is on line 75 in Africa and 7,255 in the World Rank

UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY (Kenya) is on line 78 in Africa and 7,301 in the World Rank

JOMO KENYATTA UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE AND TECHNOLOGY (Kenya) is on line 85 in Africa and 7,380 in the World Rank

MUHIMBILI UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF HEALTH SCIENCES (Tz) is on line 87 in Africa and 7,424 in the World Rank

UGANDA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY (Uganda) is on line 98 in Africa and 7,633 in the World Rank


Now buddies; these are the East African Universities under top 100 in Africa. What message do we get from these rankings?

Me? I know nothing!
 
Those University rankings are based only on webometrics which is the amount of research posted on the University website. This is a misleading way of ranking Universities.

Proper ranking should include info such as research citations, grants, inventions, noted scholars, noted alumni etc. Unforunately there is no such ranking for Universities in Africa.
 
Sean: That is not true. The Webometrics takes into account several considerations including research capacity and products, teaching innovations, teaching technology, etc. It is this webmetrics ranking system that has placed on the top the world elite universities including Harvard, Cambridge and Oxford.

The bad news for Africa is that none of our institutions is among the 200 universities. It means even those universities that appear to be top universities in Africa, they are just top among the bottoms; it is like being healthier when compared to the more ill. Otherwise, the quality of our university education in the entire continent leaves a lot to be desired.

What is more wanting is the fact that some African universities have higher concentration of professors than some of the leading universities in the world. Now, another question is are our academic promotion criteria rigorous enough compared to the world standards?
 
sean pinto

Can you show us where we can find proper ranking based on your assumption out of Africa?
 
Mambo!

Mapinduzi ni kitendo cha tabaka moja au kadhaa ya wananchi kulifagia tabaka la watawala ( si lazima damu imwagike) na kujitwalia uongozi wa kisiasa.
Mapinduzi hayana simile wala Mwafaka ni Ti... Ta.. Mtu kalala.
Mapinduzi siku zote huambatana na kulikatilia mbali bila huruma tabaka lililo angushwa kiuchumi,kisiasa,kiutamaduni na zaidi kwa kuzibana roho zao na kuzitanguliza mbele ya haki.

Mageuzi ni hatua ya tabaka moja au matabaka kadhaa ya wananchi kujenga hoja juu ya hoja na kushawishi au kuibana serikali itoe mwanya zaidi wa kushiriki katika siasa shirikivu na endelevu kwao. Katika mageuzi tabaka mdai hutumia udhaifu na uduni wa serikali iliyopo kujenga hoja nzito mbele ya wananchi na mbele ya sheria ili kuchochea nguvu ya mageuzi.

Mageuzi ni mchezo wa Paka na Mbwa.
Kama wewe ni mdogo kwa umbo tumia umbo lako kuleta ushindi.
Ukipigwa teke la tumbo usirudishe teke piga makucha.
Ukipigwa ngumi ya Uso usirudishe ngumi tumia meno yako,ng'ata.

Yeye ana bunduki wewe una kiberiti kina njiti 3.
kila ujiti ni nafasi maridhawa.
Hivi unadhani baruti ndani ya risasi ni hatari sana kuliko ujiti mmoja wa kiberiti?
Ajali nyingi za mioto duniani hazianzishwi na risasi zinaanzishwa na ujiti wa kiberiti.
Ujiti wa kiberiti umerambishwa baruti kiduchu kwenye ncha ya kipande kidogo cha mti kimya unasubiri fursa ya kutoa cheche zake.

Sisi Watanzania tuko katika hatua ya kufanya mageuzi katika nchi.
Lazima tukumbuke kwamba mageuzi ni hatua na siku zote si kitu cha moja kwa moja.
Pamoja ukweli kwamba Sisi ni hafifu na wao wanaonekana kuwa ni bora tutashinda.
Kumbuka Bora na Bora ni sawa na hafifu na hafifu hakuna zaidi.

Alamsiki
 
Mwanasiasa
some African universities have higher concentration of professors
of which kind????🙂

Tusifanye elimu kua siasa na ukweli lazima tuukubali uwezo wa universities zetu ndio huo unajua tatizo letu hua hatukubali ukweli na kujisisfia vitu ambayo havipo na vya kupotosha jamii (sijui ndio kujifariji),hivi concetration ya ma prof wetu ni ku disco wanafunzi au ipi hiyo?kama una mda tafadhali tuelezee kwa undani tutambue.

The fact inabaki palepale vyuo vyetu bado ni dhaifu sana tukubali kwanza hiyo,harafu ndio tutafute mwarobaini wake vinginevyo tutakua tunaukubali usemi ule 'acha wafu wakokotane'
 
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