The New Community: Liberal Intergovernmentalism and East African Integration

Abstract

Regional integration in sub-Saharan Africa is as old as the post-colonial African political system. Theoretically accounting for the developments and dynamics of regionalism in Africa, however, has been limited. While much has been written about the effects of regional integration schemes on trade and economic development, a theoretical framework accounting for the evolution of these regional blocs is lacking. This paper proposes to apply Liberal Intergovernmentalism, a theoretical model used mainly to explain the European Union, in the case of the East African Community (EAC). The paper seeks to demonstrate that preferences of prominent business groups in the three member-states, Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, influenced the governments’ policy positions regarding regional integration during the negotiations for a customs union. These groups, through lobbying and seeking an audience with their respective governments, were able to have their policy preferences reflected in final state policy on integration. Furthermore, the outcomes of interstate bargaining and the institutional choice reflected the wishes of the three member-states of ensuring that integration would maximize their welfare. Liberal Intergovernmentalism offers a more plausible explanation of East African integration by focusing on influences of policy and bargaining outcomes, unlike other explanations such as Pan-Africanism, which as a constructivist/ideational argument, circumvents the power of the state.