Last THURSDAY, former President-elect of Kenya, William Ruto was sworn in as the country's Fifth President after the general election held on August 9, this year due to Uhuru Kenyatta's term ending.

Among the presidents who attended the event held in Nairobi, are the presidents of the member countries of the East African Community (EAC), namely Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda.

During the ceremony, the Chairman of the EAC who is also the President of Burundi, Evariste Ndayishimiye, said his expectation is that the swearing in of Ruto to lead Kenya will stimulate cooperation among the countries of the community and give it more development.

The President of Uganda, Yoweri Museveni emphasized the issue of the community to strengthen integration and wealth production through agriculture, business, services, information and communication technology (Tehama) and others including hotel services to increase employment and grow the country's economy.

Museveni said that while all this is happening, the EAC countries must consider that, in order to grow economically and even reach or come close to reaching the economically developed countries in the world, they must first build and strengthen the market of this region.

For us, the issue of developing and strengthening the market for goods and services within the EAC, as Museveni said, should be one of the community's priorities to ensure there is enough peace and also countries with merit according to the criteria, join in the journey.

The joining of new qualified members, as was the case recently for the country of DRC, has a great meaning in the community as it increases consumers (market) and thus, increases employment through those consumers of services and products produced and provided within the EAC.

All this will be more possible when the EAC countries seriously consider the issue of good relations, peace and security.

This is what made President Samia Suluhu Hassan of Tanzania to say that, if there is something that Kenyans have done and become a gift to the EAC this year, it is a matter of Kenyans starting, conducting and ending the general election process peacefully.

President Ruto, before and after being sworn in, said that one of the things he will focus on is ensuring that his country cooperates and relates well with EAC members in various economic, political, security, social and cultural fields.

We support the positions given by the EAC leaders on behalf of their colleagues because unity is strength and no country or community in the world can develop if it is isolated and does not have peace and security.

That's why we say, what the presidents said about the market and the strengthening of the EAC should be considered by all member countries so that the EAC union will bear the expected fruits.