WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES TO THE EAST AFRICAN YOUTH?
We all continue to grow up under the umbrella of our individual nationhood or sovereignty. This poses a big challenge to us in terms of where each one ought to focus their loyalty. Below are some of the challenges the youths face in the quest to have an East African Federation:-
Education: The East African region as a whole has recorded higher literacy levels for both men and women than the average Sub Sahara Literacy levels. Kenya has higher literacy rates of men (90%) and women (78.5%) followed by Tanzania which records 85.2% for men and 69.2% for women. Uganda’s literacy rate for men is at 78.9% and 59.2% for women. The literacy levels in the three countries differ. Uganda emerged from a period of prolonged civil strife; Tanzania is waking up from socialist philosophy and Kenya from a system of ‘President for Life’ ideology. Will a united East Africa offer equal opportunities to all East African youth given this glaring differences in educational exposure? Should East African nations wait up to such a time when all her youth will be fairly on the same literacy levels before integration?
Economic Development: Kenya’s economy is the largest in the region despite the fact that her counterparts in East Africa are recording faster growth in recent years. It is estimated that Kenya’s share of the regional GDP declined from 37% to 33%, while that of Uganda grew from 23% to 32% and Tanzania remained fairly constant at 27%. How will the youth, say from Tanzania, cope with an onslaught of labor force from Kenya and Uganda? Are they going to get Tanzania youth out of business? Is an integrated market going to give Kenyan youth an upper hand over their counterparts in East Africa?
Politics: Tanzania is well ahead of her counterparts in this respect, changing political leadership is entrenched in the Tanzania political system. Will Kenyan and Ugandan youth cope with a system which offers opportunities for change of political leadership regardless of age as witnessed in Tanzania? How does the political climate play out in terms of how leaders are elected is it based on ideas, or the money one has to offer and how will youth in an integrated system cope?
Unity: Are our youth ready to be East Africans?
The Benefits of the Federation to the youth
Politics and Tribalism: In countries where the tribal and ethnic card is played out in terms of accessing jobs and other national favors, a united East Africa Federation will make tribalism irrelevant. East Africa is likely to end up with three major ‘tribes’: Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, hence reducing tribal sentiments that have slowed social cohesion and development. Instead, tribes might be exploited for positive economic benefits such as Kikuyu youth setting up a Kikuyu restaurant in Kampala, and a Buganda restaurant in Dar es Salaam and a Hehe restaurant in Nairobi, all for purposes of promoting authentic African tribal foods
Market: Instead of the youth joining their parents to complain about lack of market for such products as coffee, tea, maize and cotton, they will finally have over 90,000 people to supply 90,000 cups of tea to every morning, as well as several Kilograms of Ugali each day. The point is, East African youth ought to approach an integrated market from the perspective of exploiting the economic opportunities offered instead of relying on the traditional model where the government was supposed to provide everything.
History: East African youth have a historical moment to participate in the shaping of the new African civilization, because ‘not everything has been invented yet.’
Conclusion
East African youth must be agitated against the present economic and political system that seems keen to focus on short term interests. We must be ready to treat obstacles to integration as challenges that ought to be overcome. Each problem afflicting people in East Africa, ranging from poverty, disease, illiteracy, political strife presents an opportunity for each youth to offer a solution thereby bringing gain to an individual as well as society. Let us all soberly seek to facilitate a well thought out Eastern African integration as a step towards African Unity.
Speech by James Shikwati, Director Inter Region Economic Network, at the DIRA talks in Dar es Salaam-Tanzania (14/06/06). The event was organized by Tanzania Youth Vision Association in collaboration with Friedrich Naumann Foundation and focused on The Role of Youth in the EAC Federation Process.
Education: The East African region as a whole has recorded higher literacy levels for both men and women than the average Sub Sahara Literacy levels. Kenya has higher literacy rates of men (90%) and women (78.5%) followed by Tanzania which records 85.2% for men and 69.2% for women. Uganda’s literacy rate for men is at 78.9% and 59.2% for women. The literacy levels in the three countries differ. Uganda emerged from a period of prolonged civil strife; Tanzania is waking up from socialist philosophy and Kenya from a system of ‘President for Life’ ideology. Will a united East Africa offer equal opportunities to all East African youth given this glaring differences in educational exposure? Should East African nations wait up to such a time when all her youth will be fairly on the same literacy levels before integration?
Economic Development: Kenya’s economy is the largest in the region despite the fact that her counterparts in East Africa are recording faster growth in recent years. It is estimated that Kenya’s share of the regional GDP declined from 37% to 33%, while that of Uganda grew from 23% to 32% and Tanzania remained fairly constant at 27%. How will the youth, say from Tanzania, cope with an onslaught of labor force from Kenya and Uganda? Are they going to get Tanzania youth out of business? Is an integrated market going to give Kenyan youth an upper hand over their counterparts in East Africa?
Politics: Tanzania is well ahead of her counterparts in this respect, changing political leadership is entrenched in the Tanzania political system. Will Kenyan and Ugandan youth cope with a system which offers opportunities for change of political leadership regardless of age as witnessed in Tanzania? How does the political climate play out in terms of how leaders are elected is it based on ideas, or the money one has to offer and how will youth in an integrated system cope?
Unity: Are our youth ready to be East Africans?
The Benefits of the Federation to the youth
Politics and Tribalism: In countries where the tribal and ethnic card is played out in terms of accessing jobs and other national favors, a united East Africa Federation will make tribalism irrelevant. East Africa is likely to end up with three major ‘tribes’: Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, hence reducing tribal sentiments that have slowed social cohesion and development. Instead, tribes might be exploited for positive economic benefits such as Kikuyu youth setting up a Kikuyu restaurant in Kampala, and a Buganda restaurant in Dar es Salaam and a Hehe restaurant in Nairobi, all for purposes of promoting authentic African tribal foods
Market: Instead of the youth joining their parents to complain about lack of market for such products as coffee, tea, maize and cotton, they will finally have over 90,000 people to supply 90,000 cups of tea to every morning, as well as several Kilograms of Ugali each day. The point is, East African youth ought to approach an integrated market from the perspective of exploiting the economic opportunities offered instead of relying on the traditional model where the government was supposed to provide everything.
History: East African youth have a historical moment to participate in the shaping of the new African civilization, because ‘not everything has been invented yet.’
Conclusion
East African youth must be agitated against the present economic and political system that seems keen to focus on short term interests. We must be ready to treat obstacles to integration as challenges that ought to be overcome. Each problem afflicting people in East Africa, ranging from poverty, disease, illiteracy, political strife presents an opportunity for each youth to offer a solution thereby bringing gain to an individual as well as society. Let us all soberly seek to facilitate a well thought out Eastern African integration as a step towards African Unity.
Speech by James Shikwati, Director Inter Region Economic Network, at the DIRA talks in Dar es Salaam-Tanzania (14/06/06). The event was organized by Tanzania Youth Vision Association in collaboration with Friedrich Naumann Foundation and focused on The Role of Youth in the EAC Federation Process.
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