Economic and monetary integration in the East African Community will amplify the influence which individual East African countries can exert on the international scene. Monetary union will send a powerful signal to the rest of the world that East Africa is united with a single market.
It will thus signal that East Africa intends to be an important player in the global economy of the 21st century, and that each of the member states is prepared to put aside purely parochial interests to achieve this. The road to monetary union Preparations for the monetary union started with the formation of the East African Community Monetary Affairs Committee (MAC).