Abstract:
This paper attempts to establish information seeking behaviour of the
employees of the East African Integration. The Department of East African
Community coordinates the activities of East African Community in Kenya.
Wilson (1999) defines information seeking as, "those activities a person may
engage in when identifying their own needs for information, searching for such
information in any way, and using or transferring that information". This study was
a qualitative research in nature. The participants were drawn from 200 employees
of the State department of EAC integration. The researcher employed interview
method for data collection. The researcher used purposive sampling and interview
schedules were prepared to gather information from participants. Data was
analysed thematically. The results were that employees of the State department of
East Africa integration sought information to assist them carry out their mandate
concerning integration matters and they sought information by accessing the
internet among others. It was concluded that information sought by employees of
State department of East African Integration was information related to EAC
integration process since a small proportion mainly from administrative directorate
indicated that they seek information to better them in other disciplines of interest. It
was recommended that due to lack of enough literacy skills on the part of the staff,
librarians at State department of East African Integration should mount an effective
IL programme in order to enable employees to easily access information whenever
they sought for it. It was also recommended that ICT officers, librarians and record
officers should put in place effective information retrieval tools that could assist the
employees as they sought for information that could enable them carry out their
mandates
