During the Second World War (1939 – 1945), the colonial Governors of Kenya, Tanganyika, and Uganda set up a regional board with the aim of organizing Britain’s participation in the War. After the War, the Colonial Office proposed the establishment of a constitutional and juridical framework, which included the establishment of a joint legislature to spearhead economic coordination and operate common services within East Africa. On January 1, 1948 the Governors formed the East Africa High Commission, a regional organization to provide inter-territorial services.
The E.A. System
The services provided were divided into five categories: transport and telecommunications, revenue collection, economic and statistical, research, and other specific services such as the E.A. Literature Bureau, the E.A. Hides and Leather Bureau, the E.A. Navy, and the E.A. Office in London.
The Commission’s secretariat was based in Nairobi but consisted of British civil servants from the three territories. Members met twice or thrice annually, and discussions were chaired by the Governor of Kenya. These meetings continued until 1959.
A rise of a new era
When the sixties rolled in, a season of decolonisation commenced. In 1960 the Lancaster House Conference allowed for African representatives to meet and agitate for independence. One outcome was that the E.A. Commission would be formally replaced by the East African Common Services Organization (EACSO). Nairobi remained as the Organization’s headquarters.
In December of the following year, Tanganyika became the first of the three colonies to attain self-rule, followed by Uganda in 1962, then Kenya in 1963. Then in 1967, the heads of state of the three E.A countries – J. Nyerere, M. Obote, and J. Kenyatta – signed an agreement to make all three states a community. On 1st December 1967 EACSO officially became the East African Community.
The gradual decline
Despite this progress in uniting the three states, a decline soon began in 1971 during a coup in Uganda. The E.A.C.’s activities stalled in the following years, and continuous political differences between the three states led to its collapse in 1977. It was later revived in the mid-nineties as the East African Co-operation, and its headquarters was moved to Arusha.
However, it’s worth mentioning that in the years between 1977 and 1996 all three states had established their own services. But what remained of the Community were the notable assortment of postage stamps. They were symbols of community, and even a reminder of how Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda were together in a chapter of independence. Some of these stamps included one for the African Development Bank; another for a rinderpest campaign; one for the Commonwealth Games (1970); one for social welfare; another for the East African Airways, and many more.
Perhaps the question to ask is what #KeStamp you remember that was a symbol of the E.A.C. Let us know!
