Paper short abstract:

Existence of economically weak states, societal in-cohesion, ideological incoherence, and politically non-committed members, may explain integration failures or disintegration in East Africa and other parts of the world.

Paper long abstract:

Regional integration is facing serious implementation problems in the East African Community (EAC). The EAC member states agreed in 2016 to gradually phase out the second hand clothes and leather products in their jurisdictions by 2018. The agreement failed because Kenya bowed to the US government's argument that EAC member state's action would go against the spirit and principles of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). The US government threatened to reciprocate against the EAC member states by expelling them from AGOA. The signing and implementation of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the European Union (EU) has also stalled because of Tanzania's refusal to sign until the EU withdraws economic sanctions on Burundi. Tanzania has also raised the issue of different levels of economic developments among cooperating states.Overall, there are three structural weaknesses in the EAC. The initial two are widely predicted by integration theories: the first is its intergovernmental character (member states retain enormous decision-making powers). The second is the lack of a regional hegemony that can decisively promote integration. Thirdly is the "weak state burden"; this factor is largely ignored by theorists.This proposal focuses on the role of "weak states" that consistently undermine integration efforts in East Africa and argues that the existence of economically weak states, societal in-cohesion, ideological incoherence, and politically non-committed members, may explain integration failures or disintegration in Eat Africa and other parts of the world.