Kenya and the disintegration of The east african community, 1967 - 1977

Abstract

The research and preparation of this thesis was occasioned by the demise of the East African Community and the subsequent breakdown of relations in East Africa. The salient objective of the thesis is to examine the impact the Kenyan domestic situation had on the disintegration process of the community between 1967-1977. Kenya is used as a case study to demonstrate the effects of a relatively _ strong economy of partner state in the overall structure of an integration scheme.

Efforts were put to try and revitalize the integration scheme but all in vain owing to the economic might of Kenya. Redistribution of gains was a futile exercise considering the comparative advantage which was in favor of Kenya.

The .ana Lye i s begins with a short survey of the ideas and approaches at regional integration. It explores the approaches, problems and solutions associated with integration both from the conceptual point of view as well as in the context of East Africa.

It is demonstrated that during the colonial era, integration was very much in place since Britain used force to wedge the three territories together in a functional integration formula. However, after independence integration was elusive since other forces hitherto unknown, forcefully came into play. The question

of gains, hitherto unimportant to the British administration, assumed unparalleled magnitudes. The 1961 formation of East African Common Services Organisation (EACSO) and therefore a distributable pool of revenue was unable to resolve the impasse. The Kampala - Mbale Agreement of 1964 and 1965 was no better. Worse still was the 1967 Treaty for East African Cooperation.

This study demonstrates how Kenya perceived and reacted to all those strains both at a structural as well as a functional level. It explores all problems through the theoretical, ideological, economic and policy planes. This it does by demonstrating why problems could not be tackled and rectified in time to check their assuring levels beyond repair.