A Profile of the East African Community

Regional integration in East Africa dates back more than a hundred years. This article provides a general synopsis of the East African Community (EAC) and traces the evolution of regional integration in Eastern Africa from colonial times to the present. The EAC, one of the most integrating Regional Economic Communities (RECs) in Africa, and the focus of this special issue, is currently made up of five independent countries: Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, and Tanzania. The article describes the EAC's governance and institutional arrangements and outlines key integration achievements to date, notably the establishment of the Common Market, the promise to establish the monetary union by 2017, and the ultimate goal of achieving a political federation. Noting that as elsewhere in the world regional integration is hard and often protracted among sovereign states, the article discusses the EAC's challenges, opportunities, and drivers for deeper integration. It also provides a brief discussion of the region's na...