Editor,

REFERENCE IS made to Allan Brian Ssenyonga’s article, "With these small steps, EAC integration is on course” (Sunday Times, April 20). 

Dear Mr Ssenyonga, please never talk of that crumbling, once mighty university, now ironically and erroneously called Makerere University.

In the 70’s and the 80’s, it was once Africa’s beacon of hope in its quest for a better, elitist education. At that time, Makerere University was even competing with some of the world’s best universities. Don’t also forget that many brilliant African minds were educated there. 

But today, take an hour and stroll through that Makerere University; you will leave the hills (on which it once was) mourning, with sorrow and a heavy heart. It is more like a decaying colonial military barracks or an old refugee camp, only with girls in miniskirts flashing out the latest smartphones.

It is no wonder that you find many graduates on Kampala Road busy in the business of mass-producing fake degrees for their East African customers....

John, Rwanda

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MR SSENYONGA is right, step by step and this whole East African Community will organically find itself pieced together. 

Let’s not be hyper-volume, like we saw in last year’s reports that we needed to see things be different just tomorrow. Yes, the people, the business community, etc will set these trends and in five years time East Africa shall be completely be intertwined and our leaders will have to just bless it. 

No war of words or anything – let’s just lay low as if nothing is happening and you shall see for yourself.

Khalfan, Mtwara, Tanzania