If the recent advert inviting calls for training of participants on EAC integration is anything to go by, then therein lays all evidence calling for augmented uptake of information on the EAC.

The announcement carried in a leading newspaper recently, further amplifies the need for creation of awareness in order to enable the publics to make better informed decisions.

The five day course cobbled up together by a training institution based in Nairobi is possibly a first short term skills based scheme to build the capacity of various individuals and agencies charged with ensuring the citizenry fully comprehend the regional integration process.

The course which runs on Nov 9-13, 2009, in Nairobi targets representatives of government agencies, the private sector and various stakeholders. It takes place a week to the celebrations of the tenth anniversary whose preparations have hit a crescendo now.

According to the advert, the course aims at equipping interested persons with necessary skills to equip one with the happenings at the EAC. The curriculum looks intensive with a galore of anticipated benefits expected.

Such include inter alia, gaining of deeper knowledge of the EAC, appreciating the challenges therein and improving the understanding across board as applies to political, socio and economic arena among others. It is not clear at this point in time, whether this is a joint programme with the EAC as nothing suggests so but it is lucid the training institute has realised a niche worth exploiting.

That said, it is worth the consideration of the EAC to engage in capacity building now and in the future. Even if not offered directly, such training may be done in association with institutions in the region whose core activity is training and capacity building.

Article 102 of the Treaty confers among other things

on the need for co-operation in the development of human resources, including support for participation through education and training.

The EAC needs a populace which fully understands what it stands for. Having a critical mass of persons is vital and of absolute importance. Capacity development on EAC matters needs to be a mundane yet priority area. Such programmes that touch on regional integration should be of high quality to meet the needs of the region and bring about significant change and revolutionize the qualitative lives of the people in the region in the coming years.

The writer comments on socio-economic issues