President Yoweri Museveni has once again advocated for an East African Federation, arguing that regional unity offers Africa’s best chance at long-term prosperity and strategic security. His remarks came during the presentation of Uganda’s 2025/26 national budget at Kololo Independence Grounds on June 13, 2025.
Rather than embracing the idea of a single African superstate, Museveni rejected the late Muammar Gadhafi’s vision of a “United States of Africa” as impractical, favoring instead a regional federation model based on economic cooperation and historical ties.
Museveni’s Vision for the East African Federation Model
Addressing a national and international audience, Museveni invoked the ideological roots of Pan-Africanism and regionalism, aligning his views with leaders like Mwalimu Julius Nyerere and Jomo Kenyatta. He proposed that the East African Federation is the most viable platform to deliver meaningful integration.
“Have you heard of East Africa? Have you heard of Africa?” he asked rhetorically, cautioning against hollow unity without structure. The president emphasized that shared identity is no substitute for shared governance.
Museveni pointed to the East African Community (EAC), comprising eight nations, as a solid starting point. The bloc’s population of over 300 million and combined GDP above $300 billion makes it one of Africa’s most promising regional entities.
“If fully implemented, economic integration will address the issue of prosperity,” Museveni said. “But prosperity alone is not enough. We also need strategic security.”
Historical Struggles in EAC Political Federation Attempts
Museveni recalled that in 1963, the region nearly achieved a political federation, but some leaders hesitated. “That is why Mwalimu Nyerere and Mzee Karume must be hailed as some of the most devoted Africans that have ever lived,” he said.
He argued that had the federation formed, many of East Africa’s most difficult conflicts might have been avoided. “Certainly, Amin would never have taken power in Uganda. Maybe the problems of Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, and Congo could have been handled differently,” he added.
The president believes a unified voice from Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania could have shaped the region’s destiny more decisively.
Strategic Security Through Regional Political Federation
In a world where military power and global positioning define sovereignty, Museveni warned that individual African states remain vulnerable. “Only four countries have been to the moon: the USA, Russia, China, and India,” he said. “Can Uganda manage a serious space programme even when it becomes a first world country?”
His answer lies in “homegrown federations” like the East African Federation, built from the bottom up rather than imposed from above.
Pan-African Economic Integration for Prosperity
Museveni also stressed the importance of economic strategy rooted in Pan-African economic integration and intra-African trade. “Prosperity comes from producing a good or service and selling it sustainably,” he said. He pointed out that Uganda’s agricultural surplus needs larger markets to create lasting wealth.
Realistic Alternatives to Continental Federation Dreams
While some African leaders, including Gadhafi, championed a centralized continental government, Museveni now distances himself from that vision. His preferred approach emphasizes regional practicality, democratic cooperation, and incremental progress through an East African Federation.
The failure of the original EAC federation project and ongoing delays today highlight sovereignty concerns, trade barriers, and political mistrust among member states. Yet, Museveni believes that political will and ideology rooted in patriotism, Pan-Africanism, socio-economic transformation, and democracy can overcome these challenges.
His speech concluded with a symbolic gesture—directing aides to distribute copies of a 1963 Uganda Argus newspaper, headlined on East African Federation, to key political figures. His message: focus on federation, “not politics of rubbish.”
As regional insecurity deepens across Africa—from Sudan’s civil war to instability in Eastern Congo and Somalia—Museveni’s call for the East African Federation offers a grounded, realistic model for uniting the continent through strong, strategic regional blocks.
His renewed stance builds on recent engagements, including when Museveni hosted Uhuru Kenyatta after a youth summit visit, and earlier calls where Museveni addressed corruption and land grabbing as threats to Africa’s integration agenda.
