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Henry Okello Oryem

ARUSHA/KAMPALA. — Britain exiting the European Union (EU) is a wake-up call for the East African Community (EAC) member states to critically look at the integration process, a top government official said on Wednesday.

Henry Okello Oryem, Uganda’s Minister of State for International Affairs, told Xinhua in an interview that the happenings in Britain showed that the ordinary British people did not see the value of the EU to their ordinary lives, a similar incident that can occur to the EAC. The EAC, a regional trading bloc that brings together Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudan espouses the EU integration model in its efforts to fast track economic development.

The bloc already has a Customs Union, Common Market and is now working on a Monetary Union. Its ultimate goal is to have a political federation, a similar quest by the EU.

Oryem said the integration process should not be left to the elites but also include the ordinary citizens of each member country who should play a critical role. — Xinhua.