AThe east African community (eac) as a regional framework for promoting peace and security

This dissertation aimed at studying the viability of East African Community (EAC) in promoting peace and security in the region. The study was guided by two hypotheses; first, the EAC organizational structure largely affects peace and security promotion initiatives in the region, and second, the more the resources the EAC has, the more likely that the peace and security problems in the region would effectively be tackled. Oral and unstructured interviews as well as documentary review were used to collect the data of the study. The study observed that the continued destabilization of peace and security was largely attributed to lack of democratic principles and exclusionary governance styles among member states of the EAC as well as inactive organs or institutions in addressing security problems in practical terms. For instance, the experience showed that the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) and the East African Court of Justice (EACJ) concentrated more in addressing issues of economic cooperation than political and security cooperation. It was further observed that poor mobilization of resources and dependence on external funding and donations left the EAC policies and programs unimplemented. The study concluded that it was too early to pass a verdict that the EAC has failed to address security concerns in the region, and that, lack of a specific organ to address security issues may only be a short-lived paralysis. The study recommends for the adoption of a federalist approach which would subjugate the domestic politics to ensure peace and security is prevailing in the region. The EAC should also adopt an active organ that should be designed for early warning, prevention, and management of peace and security in the region.