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, President of Africa Public Relations Associations (APRA), said the East African Public Relations Association (EAPRA) is a new regional body faced with the 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 one individual person and making a lot of noise to achieve that,” stated Karani who also heads the Public Relations Society of Kenya (PRSK).

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

Eng. 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 the 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,” she stated, pointing out that alongside promoting the community; the PR also has a role of clearing negativity and wrong information.

Karim Meshak, chairperson of the Tanzania Association for Government Communication Officers (TAGCO) said he was confident that the state will allocate land for the construction of the 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.

Tina Wamala, President of Uganda’s Public Relations Association 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.