Focus on psychiatry in East Africa.

East Africa is made up of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, all previous colonies of and Tanzania, all previous colonies of the British Empire which attained their the British Empire which attained their independence in the early 1960s. At the independence in the early 1960s. At the time of independence, the East African time of independence, the East African community held the three countries to-community held the three countries together. Political expedience broke up the gether. Political expedience broke up the community in 1977 but greater wisdom community in 1977 but greater wisdom and economic reality have brought the and economic reality have brought the three countries back together in December three countries back together in December 2001, in the form of a common Legislative 2001, in the form of a common Legislative Assembly and Court of Appeal. A Customs Assembly and Court of Appeal. A Customs Union is expected soon, ahead of full Union is expected soon, ahead of full political integration. political integration. Geographically, the three countries Geographically, the three countries surround the second largest freshwater lake surround the second largest freshwater lake in the world, Lake Victoria. They can be in the world, Lake Victoria. They can be treated as one system for the purpose of this treated as one system for the purpose of this discussion but, as will become evident, the discussion but, as will become evident, the three developed in distinctly different ways three developed in distinctly different ways following political independence. Kenya following political independence. Kenya embraced a strict capitalist market-driven embraced a strict capitalist market-driven economy, Tanzania committed itself to a economy, Tanzania committed itself to a socialist system of government called socialist system of government called Ujamaa Ujamaa, while Uganda experimented with , while Uganda experimented with rapidly changing and increasingly violent rapidly changing and increasingly violent political systems. In recent times, the three political systems. In recent times, the three have once again discovered commonality have once again discovered commonality in being home to 1.5 million refugees from in being home to 1.5 million refugees from all the surrounding countries, namely all the surrounding countries, namely Their mental health services have, how-Their mental health services have, however , remained united in their apparent refu-ever, remained united in their apparent refusal to improve. A visit to the famous mental sal to improve. A visit to the famous mental hospitals, Muhimbili (Tanzania), Butabika …