President Yoweri Museveni has urged leaders to continue pushing for the East African Community integration to provide an extended market in the region.

President Museveni made the remarks while speaking at Kasarani Stadium in Nairobi at the swearing-in ceremony of William Samoei Ruto as the fifth President of Kenya.

For many years, President Museveni has been rooting for enhanced economic integration to ensure a stronger bloc necessary for the region’s prosperity.

The East African Community now comprises seven member states including Uganda, South Sudan, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Kenya, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Somalia is also bidding to join the bloc.

Museveni, who was introduced by the new President Ruto first as “the father of our region”, said that whenever he has been following the election debates, none of the politicians has been fronting the idea of East African integration but rather they concentrated on the development of Kenya alone.