Tanzania, Jan. 26 -- Arusha. After last year's fast-tracked admission of the DR Congo into the East African Community (EAC), Somalia will likely follow suit this year.

This time around, however, EAC boss Peter Mathuki will have put his negotiation skills in high gear to further the bloc's expansion.

"Should everything go as planned, the entire process will be completed this year," he intimated to The Citizen yesterday.

He said after the official launch of the EAC verification team to the Horn of Africa country that, as was the case for the DRC last year, the process would be fast-tracked.

Dr Mathuki, who spearheaded the admission of the DRC Congo after taking over as EAC boss in 2021, played down insecurity in Somalia as an obstacle....