Arusha City to become headquarters of the newly launched East Africa Public Relations Association

By Marc Nkwame

The East African Public Relations Association has officially been launched in Arusha, with the city being earmarked to become the headquarters of the regional professional body.

Arik Karani, the President of Africa Public Relations Associations (APRA), said the East African Public Relations Association (EAPRA) is a new regional body faced with a major task of branding the East African Community, its people and development in a world cluttered with ‘noise!’

“The world is filled with millions of brands and products all targeting to get the attention of one individual person and making a lot of noise to achieve that!” Karani Aric Karani the APRA President who also heads the Public Relations Society of Kenya (PRSK).

“We need to create an East African identity by asking which is our brand?” said Karani.

The APRA President was addressing the third East Africa Public Relations Week (EAPRW) taking place at the Lush Gardens in the outskirts of Arusha, with the opening ceremony being graced by the Deputy Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Engineer Maryprisca Mahundi.

Engineer Mahundi, emphasized the need for public relations officers in East Africa to address issues of disinformation and misinformation that are becoming the norm in this digitally advanced era, in addition to pushing East Africa agenda.

“The Public Relations Profession can be used as a tool to build trust and influence geopolitical discourse, uplift the East African Region and create a lasting impact globally,” stated the Deputy Minister, but pointed out that alongside promoting the community; the PR also has a role of clearing negativity and wrong information.

On his part, the Chairperson of the Tanzania Association for Government Communication Officers (TAGCO) Karim Meshak, said he was confident that the state will allocate land for the construction of the East African Public Relations Association (EAPRA) Headquarters in Arusha.

“EAPRA will not only bring change for the better in the region but also improve the way different institutions communicate and cooperate across the East African Region,” pointed out Meshak.

Delegates at the meeting agreed that there is a rapid rise of misinformation and disinformation, something that didn’t exist three years ago as there were no levels of Technologies that are in place today.

It was also stated during the launch of EAPRA that so far it is only four; out of the eight East African countries that have formed their national public relations societies.

“It is only Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and South-Sudan but out of these four three are strong.”

“South Sudan is still coming up. So, we have other countries that are in East Africa, and we want to find out how we assist DR Congo, Rwanda and Burundi to set up theirs?” asked Arik Karani the APRA President.

On her part, the President of the Public Relations Association of Uganda, Tina Wamala said they have been pursuing parliamentary status recognition and have already made great Headway with the government of Uganda.

“It is important for us to legalize our profession and for us to ensure that we maintain the ethical standard of our profession. At the moment in Uganda, we are on the 11th Hour of getting our bill,” she said.