Nairobi, Jan. 29 -- Kenya's Cabinet Secretary for East African Community, Arid and Semi-Arid Lands and Regional Development Rebecca Miano says a bigger East African Community spells opportunity for the region as long as the members are ready to deal with the attendant challenges.

Miano says the current jitters around expanding the EAC are misplaced.

"The bigger the cake, the more the people will partake. If you look at the African Union, the original dream of regional integration is to have a united Africa. Admitting more members in the East African Community is the right thing to do," she told The EastAfrican in an interview on Thursday.

Miano spoke as the EAC began assessing Somalia's eligibility to join the bloc. She wouldn't speak ...