By KPC Reporter
Leaders of the East African Community (EAC) have adopted a raft of measures aimed at promoting equity and fairness within the regional bloc.
The recommendations were deliberated and agreed upon during the 25th Ordinary Summit of EAC Heads of State held in Arusha, Tanzania, on Saturday.
Announcing the changes, William Ruto, who was serving as the outgoing Chairperson of the EAC Heads of State Summit, said the wide-ranging proposals take into account the economic strength of each member country.
A key decision of the summit was the review of the bloc’s financial contribution framework to align it with the economic interests and capacities of partner states.
“This morning, we have decided that Member States with bigger economies and those that benefit more from the EAC should pay more,” President Ruto said during his handover statement.
The meeting was attended by Samia Suluhu Hassan of Tanzania, Évariste Ndayishimiye of Burundi, Yoweri Museveni of Uganda and Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of Somalia, alongside development partners and members of the diplomatic corps.
Under the new formula, each of the eight member states will contribute 50 per cent toward the EAC’s annual budget, while the remaining portion will be determined based on each country’s ability to pay.
The summit also resolved to waive 50 per cent of arrears owed by partner states and granted them a two-year grace period to clear the remaining balances.
Additionally, leaders agreed that future nominations to the top five EAC positions will depend on whether nominating countries have ratified the East African Treaty and fully paid their financial obligations to the Community.
During the meeting, President Museveni was elected the new Chairperson of the EAC Heads of State Summit, while Rwanda was elected Rapporteur.
The leaders also appointed Tanzania’s Steven Patrick Mbundi as the new EAC Secretary-General, replacing Kenya’s Veronica Nduva, who had served since June 2024.
Three new judges were sworn in to the East African Court of Justice: Somalia’s Abdullahi Warsamme, Kenya’s Anne Amadi and South Sudan’s Digo Stephen Abraham.
President Ruto further announced that future decisions of the bloc will be made either unanimously or with a quorum of 65 per cent of member states present.
The summit also resolved that individual member states will begin paying salaries for their representatives in the East African Legislative Assembly from December 2027, after the end of the current term.
Ruto highlighted several achievements during his 15-month chairmanship, including efforts to resolve the conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
He also noted strong growth in intra-regional trade, saying the volume of trade within the bloc rose by nearly 22 per cent from $33 billion in 2024 to $40.3 billion in 2025.
“Exports from the region grew significantly by 32 per cent to $19.6 billion, while imports rose more moderately by 13 per cent to $20.6 billion. This narrowed the region’s trade deficit from $3.4 billion to $1.0 billion,” he said.
In his acceptance remarks, President Museveni called for increased trade among member states, across the continent and beyond.
“If we do not create a big and reliable market for our wealth creators, how do businesses expand to produce more products, create more jobs and pay more taxes?” he asked.
He also urged young people in Eastern Africa and across the continent to embrace unity and avoid unnecessary acts of civil disobedience that could hinder progress.
The meeting also formally launched the EAC Seventh Development Strategy (2026/27–2030/31) and the East African Customs Bond.
Also present were Rwanda’s Prime Minister Justin Nsengiyumva, South Sudan’s Foreign Affairs Minister Monday Kumba and DR Congo’s Regional Integration Minister Floribert Anzuluni Isiloketshi, representing their respective presidents.
