Kenyan President William Samoei Ruto, in his remarks, referred to a 2010 survey showing that East Africans overwhelmingly supported integration and the establishment of a political federation. He also commended the Republics of Burundi, Uganda, and Kenya, which have already initiated national consultations to draft the constitution for the EAC Political Confederation, and praised Rwanda, South Sudan, and Tanzania for setting dates to begin consultations
The Heads of State of the East African Community (EAC) have agreed to hasten the establishment of the Political Federation, marking the fourth and final stage of EAC integration. During a summit at the Arusha International Conference Grounds in Arusha, Tanzania, EAC leaders emphasized the importance of completing the Political Federation, a goal initially set in 1963 by the EAC’s founding leaders—President Jomo Kenyatta of Kenya, Dr Apollo Milton Obote of Uganda, and Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere of Tanganyika (now Tanzania).
The leaders noted that, although the idea had been established, progress had been slow due to a lack of follow-through by the bureaucrats responsible for the task. It was also highlighted that while Tanganyika and Zanzibar moved forward to form the United Republic of Tanzania, the political federation envisioned by the three leaders should still be pursued to fully integrate the region into a federation.
The summit was held during a high-level event commemorating the 25th anniversary of the EAC. Leaders also agreed on the necessity of fully operationalizing the Customs Union and Common Market protocols to enhance intra-regional trade, which remains relatively low.
Kenyan President William Samoei Ruto, in his remarks, referred to a 2010 survey showing that East Africans overwhelmingly supported integration and the establishment of a political federation. He also commended the Republics of Burundi, Uganda, and Kenya, which have already initiated national consultations to draft the constitution for the EAC Political Confederation, and praised Rwanda, South Sudan, and Tanzania for setting dates to begin consultations.
President Ruto pointed out that the EAC was the leading regional economic community in Africa, with intra-regional trade standing at 25-28%, the highest on the continent. He also noted that Tanzania had surpassed Kenya in terms of intra-regional trade volumes and emphasized the importance of peace and security for investment. Kenya, he stated, was actively contributing to regional stability through its involvement in peace talks in South Sudan, Somalia, and Uganda.
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni urged the region to celebrate over a thousand years of interconnected trade, rather than just focusing on the past 25 years of EAC achievements. He explained how colonial powers had disrupted East Africa’s historical trade connections, but how the bold steps taken by the region’s leaders in 1963 aimed to reverse this disruption. He also reiterated Uganda’s commitment to free trade in the region.
Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan emphasized her country’s commitment to environmental conservation and climate change mitigation. She disclosed that Tanzania invests 4-5% of its GDP annually on environmental preservation and climate action. Her government is spearheading an ambitious afforestation program, planting 1.5 million trees annually per district, while also making progress in transitioning to clean energy with plans to connect rural areas to the national electricity grid.
Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud highlighted his country’s long-standing desire to join the EAC, citing Somalia’s vast potential in sectors such as agriculture, infrastructure development, energy generation, and fisheries, due to its extensive coastline. Other leaders present included Burundian Vice President Prosper Bazombanza, EAC Secretary General Veronica Nduva, and numerous ministers, diplomats, and development partners.
