The East African Community (EAC) is an intergovernmental organisation composed of six countries in eastern Africa: Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, South Sudan, and Uganda. Having collapsed in 1977, it was revived on 7 July 2000. In 2010 EAC launched its own common market for goods, labour, and capital within the region, with the goal of creating a common currency and eventually a full political federation.
Economic integration within the East African Community is hoped to raise per capita income and create 2.3 million new jobs in industrial and manufacturing sectors by 2032. However, the integration process is having problems achieving the objectives it set out back in 2010, with issues such as political instability in Burundi and Sudan, regional trade wars, and the challenge of maintaining good governance in the various countries.
Last week the 8 radio stations in the Set the Agenda campaign asked Ugandans from across the country if they think they will benefit from regional economic integration. Almost 3000 people sent in their answers, and a clear majority of 64% said "Yes!" to this question. The fact that only 25% of your listeners think they will not benefit from the integration process is a clear sign that this issue has support from many ordinary Ugandans.
Together with local media partners, Trac FM identifies and formulates questions regarding public services, the survey questions are later broadcasted on radio and people send in SMS participating in the poll questions free of charge, incoming SMS reports are visualized in smart graphic designs and relayed within seconds for radio presenters to update listeners on survey results.
