Regional Integration and Economic Security

• Chibole Andanje

  Kenya Revenue Authority

  Author

• Stephen Handa

  Kenyatta University

  Author

• Israel Nyadera

  National Defence College

  Author

This study investigates the impact of East African Community (EAC) integration on Kenya’s economic security by evaluating the outcomes of the Customs Union, Common Market, and proposed Monetary Union. Utilising a mixed-methods design that integrates survey data (n = 170), semi-structured interviews (n = 15), and macroeconomic indicators (2010–2024), the study develops a composite Economic Security Index (ESI) encompassing trade efficiency, labour mobility, and fiscal health. Findings show that Kenya’s ESI improved from 52.1 in 2010 to 68.4 in 2023, with the Common Market—especially labour mobility—emerging as the strongest driver (β = 0.402). However, progress remains uneven: the manufacturing and logistics sectors benefited from adherence to the Common External Tariff, while agriculture lagged due to persistent non-tariff barriers (NTBs) and phytosanitary disputes. Monetary integration showed the weakest impact, constrained by inflation divergence and fiscal asymmetries among member states. The study extends Balassa’s (1961) integration model by revealing asymmetric policy spillovers and the critical role of institutional enforcement. Qualitative data expose regulatory fragmentation, informal payments at borders, and licensing delays that hinder professional mobility. Policy recommendations include digitising customs via blockchain, establishing mutual recognition agreements, and capitalising a regional small and medium enterprises credit guarantee fund. These insights offer a nuanced understanding of regional integration’s potential and limitations in advancing economic security in Africa.

1. Chibole Andanje , Kenya Revenue Authority

   Chibole Andanje ‘ndc’ (K) is an experienced Customs Officer with over 14 years of expertise in revenue mobilisation and trade facilitation. She is a certified mediator and arbitrator. Her experience spans managing cargo clearance at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Inland Cargo Depot Embakasi, and the Port of Kilindini Mombasa. She is skilled in strategy formulation and has served as a member of the Kenya Revenue Authority 3trillion strategy team, as a Customs liaison officer to the National Treasury Budget team, and as a Kenya Customs representative at East African Community meetings. She holds a BA in Development Studies.

2. Stephen Handa, Kenyatta University

   Col (Rtd) Dr Stephen Handa, PhD, is a security and strategic studies researcher with over 30 years of Kenya Defence Forces service and substantial academic leadership experience. He teaches at Kenyatta University and is an adjunct at the National Defence University-Kenya and the University of Nairobi. His research focuses on national security, counter-terrorism, and peace studies.

3. Israel Nyadera, National Defence College

   Israel Nyaburi Nyadera is a Researcher and Lecturer at the National Defence College, Kenya, and a research associate at the Centre for Conflict, Development, and Peacebuilding, Geneva Graduate Institute. He holds a PhD in Political Science and specialises in security studies, peacebuilding, and governance. A Non-Resident Fellow at Princeton and West Point, he serves on editorial boards of key journals. Widely published, his 2024 book The Somalia Conflict Revisited (Palgrave MacMillan) explores spatial governance and security in the Horn of Africa.

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