15 Steadfast for East Africa: Powering Energy Dreams …
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East African nations. For this to happen seamlessly across the border, it
would be prudent to invest more in the already established East African
Power Pool. This shall integrate the national power systems into a unified
regional electricity market with the ultimate goal of providing in the
medium and long term, regular and reliable energy at a competitive cost
to the citizenry of the East African Community. Increased investments
in the power generation and transmission infrastructures would lead to
the need for a coordinated power exchange among the EAC member
states. Over the next five years, countries in the East African Power Pool
(EAPP) would start to buy and sell electricity depending on their generation capacity and their demand needs. The idea is that by creating a
large unified power market instead of 6 small markets, East Africa would
attract even more investment in the power industry to build cleaner and
more efficient power plants.
The East Africa Community—formerly the East African High
Commission—is a unique common market which is aiming for federation in the near future. Many may not be aware that the European
Union—formerly the European Economic Community—more than half
a century ago during its inception borrowed heavily from this unique
idea envisioned by our founding fathers. It then goes without saying
that just as the Asian century is currently celebrating the success of the
foundation laid by the ‘Asian Tigers’, Africa’s moment post-2040 will
celebrate the ‘African Lions’. To achieve this dream, African lions have
to deal with their energy poverty problem through innovation, strong
leadership and in an integrated manner. In conclusion, I borrow from
the flying geese paradigm (FGP) that postulates that African nations will
catch up with the West as a part of a regional hierarchy where the production of commoditized goods would continuously move from the more
advanced countries to the less advanced ones.
Through the ‘flying geese’ model, one economy, like the first goose in a
V-shaped formation (Kenya), can lead other economies(East and Central
Africa) towards industrialization, passing older technologies down to the
followers as its own incomes rise, and it moves into newer technologies.
With this success we can emulate it across the continent via our common
market structures; Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa
(COMESA), Economic Community of Central Africa States (ECCAS),
463
East African nations. For this to happen seamlessly across the border, it
would be prudent to invest more in the already established East African
Power Pool. This shall integrate the national power systems into a unified
regional electricity market with the ultimate goal of providing in the
medium and long term, regular and reliable energy at a competitive cost
to the citizenry of the East African Community. Increased investments
in the power generation and transmission infrastructures would lead to
the need for a coordinated power exchange among the EAC member
states. Over the next five years, countries in the East African Power Pool
(EAPP) would start to buy and sell electricity depending on their generation capacity and their demand needs. The idea is that by creating a
large unified power market instead of 6 small markets, East Africa would
attract even more investment in the power industry to build cleaner and
more efficient power plants.
The East Africa Community—formerly the East African High
Commission—is a unique common market which is aiming for federation in the near future. Many may not be aware that the European
Union—formerly the European Economic Community—more than half
a century ago during its inception borrowed heavily from this unique
idea envisioned by our founding fathers. It then goes without saying
that just as the Asian century is currently celebrating the success of the
foundation laid by the ‘Asian Tigers’, Africa’s moment post-2040 will
celebrate the ‘African Lions’. To achieve this dream, African lions have
to deal with their energy poverty problem through innovation, strong
leadership and in an integrated manner. In conclusion, I borrow from
the flying geese paradigm (FGP) that postulates that African nations will
catch up with the West as a part of a regional hierarchy where the production of commoditized goods would continuously move from the more
advanced countries to the less advanced ones.
Through the ‘flying geese’ model, one economy, like the first goose in a
V-shaped formation (Kenya), can lead other economies(East and Central
Africa) towards industrialization, passing older technologies down to the
followers as its own incomes rise, and it moves into newer technologies.
With this success we can emulate it across the continent via our common
market structures; Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa
(COMESA), Economic Community of Central Africa States (ECCAS),