ARUSHA, TANZANIA – East African Heads of State have approved key reforms aimed at promoting fairness, boosting regional trade, and cementing the regional bloc’s path toward deeper integration.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The decisions were made during the East African Community (EAC) 25th Ordinary Summit of Heads of State, held in Arusha on Saturday, March 7, 2026. The summit was attended by presidents from member states and other dignitaries.
The meeting, which marked a transition in leadership, was characterized by a spirit of camaraderie and a shared vision for a prosperous future for over 300 million East Africans.
The outgoing EAC Chairperson and President of Kenya, His Excellency William Ruto, hailed the progress made during his tenure, announcing a landmark shift in how the Community funds its shared institutions.
President Ruto announced that leaders have adopted a new contribution framework, which calculates member fees based on economic strength to ensure fairness and sustainability.
He emphasized that this framework is designed to create a more balanced and sustainable system of support for the community’s shared institutions.
“This includes a new contribution framework that will take into account the economic strength of Member States, ensuring a more balanced and sustainable system of support for our shared institutions,” President Ruto stated.
President Ruto then handed over the reins of the EAC Summit to his Ugandan counterpart, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, congratulating him on his appointment as the new EAC Chairperson.
He also welcomed Stephen Patrick Mbundi of Tanzania as the incoming Secretary-General, while honouring outgoing Secretary General Veronica Nduva of Kenya for her dedicated service since June 2024.
President Ruto further congratulated the newly appointed judges of the East African Court of Justice: Kenya’s Anne Amadi, Somalia’s Abdullahi Warsamme, and South Sudan’s Digo Stephen Abraham.
The new summit chairperson, President Museveni, delivered a powerful address, framing regional integration not as a political option, but as an existential necessity for Africa’s prosperity.
He cautioned against the mismanagement of the African revolution and reflected on the historical disunity, poor leadership, and scientific shortcomings that left the continent vulnerable to colonization.
President Museveni stressed the urgent need for unity and self-reliant market integration, reaffirming the East African Community’s enduring mission of “Freedom and Unity.”
“Africa must avoid what I call ‘Okukonesa,’ the mis-cooking of the African revolution. Historically, our weaknesses of disunity, poor leadership and failure to adopt science allowed the continent to be colonised. We achieved freedom. The next mission must be unity,” President Museveni asserted.
The high-level meeting, held at the Arusha International Conference Centre, was attended by a host of regional leaders, including the President of Burundi, Évariste Ndayishimiye, and the President of Somalia, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.
The summit, which was hosted by Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan, concluded with a renewed sense of purpose, setting the stage for a year of focused integration under Uganda’s chairmanship.
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