East African Business Week (Kampala)
Bobi Odiko
11 January 2009
opinion
The year 2008 was a heck of an interesting year - worthy or depressing for East African citizens depending on whichever side of the divide.
The region spirited along what seemed to be a long year, never mind the fact that like many others, it too had 365 days. So eventful it was, sometimes catastrophic, eventually, climaxing as a year exhibiting a mixed bag of joy and sorrow. Despite the need to emphasize the positives one saw during the period, there were follies that brought with them gloom and hardships the region should and could have avoided.
It commenced on a whirlwind of violence following the disputed elections in Kenya in December 2007. The story of the loss of lives of over 1000 people and the displacement of over 350,000 was sad and one that is too horrific to recount.
It took the international community and the diplomatic shuttling of a number of eminent persons led by former UN Secretary General, Dr Kofi Annan to seal a peace accord between the two main protagonists, President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister, Hon Raila Odinga, then his main challenger.
A similar script but acted by different players and modus operandi signified the case in Uganda -that of an unnerving battle pitting the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) led by Joseph Kony and the government forces. After two years of failed talks, the ugly head of war returned to haunt the country. As we speak, the army is in Congo's Garamba forests squaring it out with Kony and media reports indicate the death of hundreds and displacement of thousands of citizens. It seems that EAC region shall enter the New Year with Kony's ghost hovering around!
Rwanda continued to receive accolades smarting from positive realignment and a horde of achievements in socio-economic and political development, having faced one of the worst genocidal periods in the region's history a decade ago. But UN reports implicating Kagame's government in the Congo debacle stole the thunder away exposing its underbelly at the close of the year.
On its part, Burundi closed the year on a surer footing with the government and the PALIPEHUTU forces sealing a deal in a ceasefire agreement that shall see peace and normalcy return to the trouble- ridden Partner State.
In Tanzania, the amorphous monster of corruption, an increasing cancer returned to dim the limelight off an otherwise colorful year for the Kikwete government. Scam after scam erupted denying tax paying Tanzanians essential goods and services; serving as a platform capable of building a cynical society and sowing seeds of discord.
Collectively, media freedom suffered a major dent with the governments in the region exhibiting tendencies to return the Partner states to the dark days. Kenyans ended the year at the lowest ebb with the looming possibility of assenting into law by the President of the draconian Communications (Amendment) Bill of 2008.
Also felt were the effects of the cartel that is in the oil industry maintaining a firm lid on the pump prices above the two dollar a litre mark, despite the slump of international oil prices by nearly three times. Then there was the economic strain the region felt, occasioned by the global abyss on the economic market, double digit inflation and the rise in crime.
However, one thing that stood out all year long was the dynamism and enduring spirit of the regions' inhabitants.
East Africa had its fair share of defining moments laying with it a powerful portrait of growing opportunities for the region. Indeed for all its worth, East Africa continued to spruce up its image as an important market in the continent that global firms interested in growth must consider as important component of their portfolio. Top on the agenda were the continued efforts to market East Africa as a single investment opportunity, improve the climate of doing business, transform infrastructure and opening of markets.
One of our very own, President Jakaya Kikwete took the mantle of the African Union while Kenya's athletic maestro Pamela Jelimo led other sports women and men in bagging trophies to keep the region on the world sports arena. Tanzania and Rwanda benefited from the kitty of the Bush administration when he visited the region in early 2008. Rwanda and Burundi - who were integrated into the Community in late 2007, began to enjoy the benefits of regional integration as Rwandan strongman Paul Kagame took the Chair of the Summit of the EAC Heads of States.
Barrack Obama, the American of Kenyan descent, made world history in the US leveraging the name of Kenya and the region to the world map, never mind that twelve months earlier, it was the elections gone awry that repudiated his fatherland in the global chart.
Uganda on its part regained its place in the United Nations Security Council as the region continued to savor in its never-ending list of goodies. As the curtain draws on to the year that was 2008, we need to reflect on what transpired and re-engineer all efforts in the coming twelve months for a better East Africa.
The writer comments on socio-economic issues and is based in Arusha
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2009 East African Business Week. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
