West to East: My East African Sojourns

West to East is about the author’s experiences in two East African countries, Kenya and Uganda.

After a successful interview in December 2016, the author was offered the appointment of CEO, African Peace Support Trainers’ Association in Kenya. Surprisingly, he developed cold feet. He had to be coaxed, cajoled and “ordered” to take the job in 2017. 

The author’s premonition turned right when he arrived in Kenya to find an organization torn-apart by internal/external politics, personality conflicts and without money. The three-year offer ended in less than a year. 

For a continent struggling for unity, this experience was unfortunate. 

Earlier, between 2008 and 2009, the author had served in Uganda as Senior Military Adviser to former President Joaquim Chissano of Mozambique. He was UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s Special Representative for the Lord’s Resistance Army-Affected Areas of Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan and the Central African Republic. A summary of the author’s experience in Uganda is provided. 

Nana Kwasi Gyan-Apenteng describes the book as “a good textbook or supplementary-reader for people in all disciplines, but will be indispensable for professional and lay-people seeking information about Peacekeeping and International Multilateral responses to crisis.”