Friday, April 27, 2007

Can You Spot the Fast-Tracker of the East African Community?


Look closely enough, and throughout this blog even more closely...and you might think I've gone and found myself a lady from Kenya. I've been praising that East African country a bit, I must confess--but I am emphatic that it is not without reason.

I've never been to Kenya, and so I can't honestly say anything about the people and how they make their country tick, but there are accounts, and best practices to follow. So far, my eye's on Kenya for the simple reason that it's making serious efforts on being proactive in its efforts on regional integration.

ECOWAS has forever been talking about making regional integration more inclusive, but never has brought anything really concrete. Conversely, the East African Community appears to be something right: it's getting the fourth Estate on board its efforts to fast-track regional integration.

An article from The Nation reports how


Media executives will hold talks in Nairobi to discuss ways of speeding up regional integration in East Africa.


Please note that it's not just a matter of journalists alone being involved, but some of the big fry who would have the power to make decisions on editorial policy and whatnot.

The secretary-general of the EAC couldn't have put it better when he said:


"If the regional integration process is to succeed, it must become the agenda of all critical agencies... and none is more powerful than the media,"


ECOWAS, are you listening? African Union? You there, too?

Have a good weekend!

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