EAC secretariat set to tackle negative perceptions

As the clock continues to tick towards the target date for the integration of the East African Community (EAC), no effort is being spared to make the process a success.

The EAC secretariat intends to rope in consultants to foster positive attitudes in the five partner states towards integration.

The consultants will develop and implement a five-year information and communications strategy.

Negative perceptions towards a regional integration have dogged the process in the past.

Significant opposition was voiced during the national consultations on the fast-tracking of the East African Federation in the partner states. In order to avert a similar fate with specific regard to integration, the EAC is taking proactive steps to change perceptions.

According to the community’s acting principal information and public relations officer Mr Owora Richard Othieno, the initiative intends to brand the EAC as ‘a dynamic, people-centred ideal, identity, process and institution for achieving a prosperous, secure and united East Africa’.

At present, Mr Othieno said, the EAC organs and institutions, their roles, activities, achievements and challenges are not well-known, understood or appreciated among the citizens of the partner states.

Mr Othieno said that the council of ministers had already resolved to allocate adequate resources to establishing an effective mechanism for public communications about the EAC.

Among the study’s key elements includes re-branding the EAC to change its vision and mission message, form and style of outreach communication and EAC logo, colours, among others. The EAC Directorate of Communications and Public Affairs will also be launched with defined role and responsibilities.

The new drive towards reshaping the perception of East African citizens comes as a series of consultations are set to kick off over the planned monetary union. The monetary union, for which a target date of 2012 has been set, is expected to herald full regional integration.

Government officials, the private sector, parliaments and civil society in the East African Community are set to kick off a series of consultations this week over the planned monetary union.

The fora are meant to provide a platform to share preliminary findings of a study on the establishment of East African Monetary Union (EAMU) that is being conducted by the European Central Bank (ECB).

Preliminary findings
This, according to a statement released by the EAC secretariat, is also geared towards finalising the assessment of the preparedness of the EAC partner states for the Monetary Union.

The meetings that kick off today will last for the next three weeks with sessions at the countries’ central banks and conferences.

The sessions will be led by the deputy secretary general of EAC in charge of planning and infrastructure Alloyce Mutabingwa, consultants from ECB, the EAC Principal Economist, Tharcisse Kadede, and other senior EAC officials.