News that the East African Community has been hit by a severe funding crisis is a grim warning that hopes of a regional trading bloc could be farther from reality.

The East African Legislative Assembly, the legislative arm of the community, says the financial crunch is so grave that Parliament and other institutions have had to cancel important activities. Staff salaries and payments to suppliers have been delayed.

If basic financial needs cannot be met, how is the community ever going to achieve its lofty ideals of constructing a powerful and sustainable economic and political bloc?

How is it going to meet the expectations of the region’s 150 million citizens, who are hoping for a seamless system that eases business, education, travel, and social integration across the borders?

That the problem is a result of member states’ failure to meet their financial obligations to the community suggests that the countries do not have the commitment to drive the process.

Unless members honour their financial obligations, citizens will lose faith in the whole process and the dream of regional integration will remain just that. A mere pipe dream.