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{
    "id": 590655,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/590655/?format=api",
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    "content": "and Uganda, as you know, have felt that Tanzania is not moving as fast as they would want to move towards the economic and political integration, and that is true. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I was privileged to have chaired the Committee appointed by the Heads of States of East Africa to provide a roadmap towards the Federation of East Africa. Therefore, I had the opportunity to travel across East Africa and talk to the leadership at that time, their Ministers, the political class and business community and so on and so forth. I had an opportunity to have a long session with H.E. President (Dr.) Kikwete concerning the issue when he was the Minister for Foreign Affairs. He expressed his view during the Address, that we have to move towards greater economic and political integration. However, he felt that it was because of the speed that the difference came in. whereas the other countries felt that the speed should be faster, he felt that we should go slowly by slowly. He felt that we should have the Customs Union first and it must work. We must address the teething problems within the Customs Union, then look at the common market and ensure that it works. He felt that we should address the teething problems under the Common Market, the Monetary Union and then the political union. It is because of, I believe, the slow approach; an approach I can tell you without any fear of contradiction. President Mkapa, who was the outgoing President with whom I had long sessions with, felt that we should hurry and have a political federation. This is because he felt that the driving force behind the move towards economic and political integration were the people who benefitted from the EAC that had been established soon after Independence. He and I went to the University of Dar es Salaam where there were students from Uganda, Tanzania and so on. When I was the Attorney-General, we knew who was who because we were college mates in the university, including H.E. President Museveni and others. In Makerere University, there were also students from Uganda, Tanzania and so on. So, President Mkapa felt that we, who benefitted from the EAC at that time, could be the driving force. Since there was “diminishing whatever,” it may be very well that those who come after us, may not be aware of the benefits of the integration and the close historical and cultural links that unites the people of East Africa."
}