The purpose of this paper is to critically reflect on regional integration in East Africa. East Africa will be conceptualized in terms of the member-states of the East African Community (EAC), namely, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi. The central claim of this paper is that no country is capable of reaping substantial development dividends unless its integration agenda is an extension of domestic economic mercantilism. Concerted efforts must be made to shift from the traditional nation-state borders to the regional political economy arena.
