Comrade Kalinge-Nnyago,
I totally agree with an East African federation project in which ordinary
citizens are in the vanguard of its realisation.
That is, a project that has been plied from the hands of Tutsi
apartheid-like mass-murderers like Kagame or imperialism's pathological
criminals like Museveni !! The fate of these is only the courts followed by
the gallows !!
Sadly though, you shoot down this noble and good idea by bringing in the
nonsense that participants in this caravan ought to be 'professionals'.
What is wrong with Ugandans with this myopic elitism? It is sad that you
guys assume to have the ultimate wisdom simply because you have read
thrillers like 'David Copperfield' or 'Merchant of Venice' !!
Being a 'professional' is totally irrelevant in the definition of an East
African !!
==================================
OPINIONS & COMMENTARIES *POLITICS | *Omar Kalinge-Nnyago ...
**
Will you join the caravan through East Africa? *July 27, 2007* Weeks ago
in this space, I, almost in passing, mooted the idea of a "Caravan of United
Africans" to journey through East Africa to particularly demonstrate the
desire of civil society for free movement across East African States. Little
did I know that East Africans were awaiting such an initiative.
Since publication, I have been overwhelmed by the response to this rather
"crazy idea" as one reader put it. I have received hundreds of mails from
people from all walks of life expressing interest in joining the caravan.
Text messages have also been numerous. Others have called and given their
valuable inputs.
One reader thought that the caravan should be composed of not more than
fifty East Africans, ten each from Burundi, Rwanda, Kenya Tanzania and
Uganda – enough to move in one big bus. The fifty persons would be able to
pay for their own expenses – transport, accommodation, meals and medical
insurance. They would be diverse - gender balanced and from different
backgrounds.
They would be accompanied by a media crew, perhaps travelling in a separate
van, which they would share with security.
The caravan would set off from Kampala, through Nairobi, Arusha (the EAC
headquarters), Dodoma, Bujumbura, Kigali and Back to Kampala. The caravan
would request audience with the ministers in charge of East African Affairs
in each of the five member states, to whom it would submit a memorandum from
the group calling for the unconditional opening of borders to all East
Africans.
Another thought that the caravan would have a Captain, a Spokesperson, a
Secretary, a Medical Doctor and a Nurse, and would be apolitical in
composition and orientation. Volunteers would be required to tick two weeks
off their calendar for the historic journey that would pave way for a
borderless access to the whole of East Africa, as a necessary step to the
creation of a united, fully integrated regional block.
All members of the caravan would have valid travel documents but will
reserve the right to produce them at immigration points or NOT to. They
would hope they won't be necessary. Members of the caravan will prove they
have been immunised.
Any political personalities that would like to join the caravan would be
asked to leave their affiliations at home. Registration would be on a first
come first serve basis, under the three criteria of gender,
professional background
and ability to meet own expenses.
Another reader was of the view that it was possible to get sponsors of the
caravan, East African companies and organisations that would like to
associate with this effort. She challenged the Nation Media Group to prove
its East Africanness again by being one of the sponsors. Such sponsorship
would not include transport, accommodation and meals though.
One thought that the group should include a known artist or two, to spice up
the project. Stella was so worried about the possibility of vehicles
breaking down she said she would sign up only if she got assurances that
there would be two qualified mechanics on board. She is also the cautious
one. She believes there should be space for police escorts from each of the
East African State the caravan would be passing.
Dr Besh sent a text message to 'confirm' his participation in the caravan. I
didn't ask whether he was a medical doctor. If he is, then we could have
moved one step already. Juma, a Kenyan was particularly taken by the idea,
he thought it was great to have a meeting soon to discuss the project with
like-minded East Africans to plan.
He sounded a bit uncomfortable with people selling ideas in columns with no
practical follow-up.
There have been so many details readers have thought of, it is not easy to
ignore their seriousness on embarking on this symbolic journey.
Ignatius Kasoma, an MBA student who lives in Nairobi had this grandiose
idea. A caravan, he argued, cannot be composed of one bus. There should be
at least ten of them, all full of people. It was clear to me that his
excitement about the caravan had somehow blinded him to the logistical
nightmare that would ensue. It was perhaps Oketcho, a Ugandan who lives in
London, who amazed me more. He offered to build a website for the caravan to
allow online registration of participants.
Things seem to be heating up, and I cannot tell how many more ideas will
come through this week. What is certain is that the caravan idea has taken
shape. Ordinary people in the region are really fascinated with the idea of
one Eat Africa, and are ready to go the extra mile to demonstrate that.
It would be nice to know whether you would like to join the caravan, if you
meet the criteria. Of course, a knowledge of Kiswahili is not one of them,
for Were of Kansanga offered to be our Kiswahili translator, just in case.
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
0752 656 352*
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