CULTURE & ENTERTAINMENT
Hello East Africa! By Rosemary Kyarimpa
Hello East Africa,
Have you heard the news
The good news for East Africa?
A new drum of unity sounds
For East Africans to dance
The flute plays an enchanting melody
Our voices sing in sweet harmony
To welcome regional amity
The East African Community.
Almost thirty years ago
We mourned in great grief
The collapse of a good nation
Struck by mistrust, gun rule
And unequal economies.
We lived in fragments
Refusing to bind the dreams
Aspirations of a common history
Pursued by our grandparents
From Mau-Mau to Maji Maji.
As we held our breath
Lamenting our bitter loss
We recalled Jomo Kenyatta
Reminding us to unite
We remembered Mwalimu Nyerere
His love of African identity.
1999 came
A blessed year it was:
We woke up from deep sleep
We signed the treaty
For East African Community
Economic unity
Monetary fraternity
Political amity.
We saw the birth of liberty
To enjoy free trade
And move as we liked.
As millennium lights burned
Our new bloc emerged
A new face smiled:
The East African Community
Formed 2001.
Now we live in harmony
A common passport held
On our precious land.
Eighty million voices sing
The great beauty of our region-
Breathtaking tourism
Sought-after mineral wealth
And a thriving industry.
We hoist a common flag
Merging all our colours
We are proud of Kiswahili
Our common language
Habari, Habari, Habari!
We welcome our great leaders:
RAISI Yoweri Museveni
RAISI Mwai Kibaki
RAISI Jakaya Kikwete
We shake our hands
In a gesture of fraternity
We are here to stay
Singing in harmony
To develop East Africa
"USHIRIKIANO WA AFRIKA MASHARIKI"
Hello East Africa,
Have you heard the news
The good news for East Africa?
A new drum of unity sound
For East Africans to dance
The flute plays an enchanting melody
Our voices sing in sweet harmony
To welcome regional amity
The East African Community.
© R.K., 2007
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