This volume addresses the nexus between the East African citizens and the integration agenda, with special focus on the concepts of popular participation, eastafricanness, eastafricanization, and democratization.

The post-independence integration endeavor of the East African Community has been punctuated with challenges, culminating into the collapse of the 1967-1977 regional organization. The renaissance of the integration agenda since the re-establishment of the regional organization in 1999 has rekindled epistemological debate among scholars and practitioners on the East African Community raison d'etre and integration process. This volume is the first of its kind in this ongoing debate that puts into proper context the nexus between the East African citizens and the integration agenda. Focusing on the Partner States case studies, the authors of the chapters operationalize the concepts of popular participation, eastafricanness, eastafricanization, democratization, and integration. Using political, national constitutions and EAC treaty, communication and awareness dimensions the authors of the chapters have analyzed the nexus between the EACcitizens and the integration process. The study generally proceeds from the premise that the exclusion of the EAC citizens from exercising their sovereign rights through popular participation undermines the prospects for the institutionalization and consolidation of the EAC identity, eastafricanness, eastafricanization, democratization and integration.

This is an important and essential book in the era of regional integration studies in international studies. The book is a master piece for everyone interested in the new concepts of Eastafricanness and the process of Eastafricanisation. This important text is a timely addition to International Relations, Foreign Policy and African International Studies courses, as well as a tool for policy makers, diplomats and NGO community.