The East African Community (EAC) is an intergovernmental organisation in East Africa. The EAC's membership consists of eight states:Democratic Republic of the Congo,the Federal Republic of Somalia,the Republics of Burundi,Kenya,Rwanda,South Sudan,Uganda,and Tanzania. William Ruto,the president of Kenya,is the current EAC chairman. The organisation was founded in 1967,collapsed in 1977,and was revived on 7 July 2000. The main objective of the EAC is to foster regional economic integration.
The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) is an eight-country trade bloc in Africa. It includes governments from the Horn of Africa,Nile Valley and the African Great Lakes. It is headquartered in Djibouti.
The East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) is a sub-organ of the larger East African Community,being the legislative arm of the Community. Members are sworn into five-year terms.
The East African Federation is a proposed federal sovereign state consisting of the eight member states of East African Community in the African Great Lakes region –Burundi,the Democratic Republic of the Congo,Kenya,Rwanda,Somalia,South Sudan,Tanzania and Uganda. The idea of this federation has existed since the early 1960s but has not yet come to fruition for several reasons. Though the federation has not yet been established,many steps have been taken to advance this goal. Institutions and governing bodies already exist for the eventual union of these nations,with representatives from all of the related nations working together towards this common goal. A voluntary confederation will be formed as an intermediate step prior to the establishment of a full political federation.
The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) is a regional economic community in Africa with twenty-one member states stretching from Tunisia to Eswatini. COMESA was formed in December 1994,replacing a Preferential Trade Area which had existed since 1981. Nine of the member states formed a free trade area in 2000,with Rwanda and Burundi joining the FTA in 2004,the Comoros and Libya in 2006,Seychelles in 2009,Uganda in 2012 and Tunisia in 2018.
Amina Chawahir Mohamed Jibril,born 5 October 1961,is a former Kenyan cabinet secretary,lawyer and a diplomat of Somali descent. She is the immediate former Cabinet Secretary for Sports,Heritage and Culture in Kenya. She previously served as chairwoman of the International Organization for Migration and the World Trade Organization's General Council,as well as Assistant Secretary-General and Deputy Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme. She served as the Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs of Kenya from May 2013 to February 2018,when President Uhuru Kenyatta,after re-election,moved her to the Education docket. In March 2019,she was moved to the Sports Ministry replacing Rashid Echesa. The KNEC Director,George Magoha replaced her in the Education docket.
Alfred Nganga Mutua is a Kenyan journalist and politician who is serving as the Kenyan Minister for Labour and Social Protection. He previously served as the Minister for Tourism and Wildlife. Before that he served as the Cabinet Secretary (Minister) for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs under President William Ruto. Mutua was,together with the entire Cabinet members,dismissed from the cabinet in July,2024 as President William Ruto planned to reorganize his Government. He was one of only 10 of the dismissed members of Cabinet who were reappointed back into Cabinet. Twelve of the dismissed Cabinet members were not reappointed.
Fred Mukasa Mbidde is a Ugandan lawyer,human-rights activist,mass communication specialist,motivational speaker and politician. He is an elected member of the 3rd East African Legislative Assembly (EALA),representing the Republic of Uganda. He has been in this office since June 2012. He serves on three EALA committees:the Committee on Communication,Trade and Investments;the Committee on Legal,Rules and Privileges;and the Committee on Regional Affairs and Conflict Resolution. He is the chairperson of the Committee on Communication,Trade and Investments.
Kenya–Tanzania relations are bilateral relations between Tanzania and Kenya. Tanzania is a partner of Kenya in many areas,particularly trade,security (military),education,agriculture and energy.
Libérat Mfumukeko is a Burundian diplomat and civil servant. He is currently an IDA / World Bank Borrowers’Representative where he co-chairs the Africa Group 1,and is also a [[Chargéde Missions] at the Office of the President of the Republic of Burundi. From 2016 to 2021,he was the Secretary General of the East African Community (EAC). During his term at EAC,he presided over the Tripartite EAC-COMESA-SADC in 2016-2017,served as an ex-officio member of the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) and of the African Union Executive Council. Before 2016,Amb. Mfumukeko was the EAC Deputy Secretary in charge of Finance and Administration. From 2009 to 2015,he held high-profile positions in Burundi;he was the first Director General of the Burundi Investment Promotion Agency (2009-2012),the Principal Advisor to the President of the Republic of Burundi in charge of Economic Affairs (2012-2013),and the Director General of REGIDESO (2013-2015),the largest state-owned company in Burundi which main activities are production and distribution of water and electricity. Between 1994 and 2009,Amb. Mfumukeko held various managerial positions in the private sector in France and the USA where he studied and lived for more than 20 years,and he was an Economic Expert at the United Nations for 5 years. Amb. Mfumukeko holds a Bachelor Degree in Economics from the University of Tours (France),an MBA from Clark University,a Post-graduate Certificate in Adaptive Leadership from the Kennedy School of Government,and a Diploma in Russian Language from the Lomonossov Moscow State University (Russia). In 2021,Clark University granted him a Doctoral Degree Honoris Causa. Since 2013,Amb. Libérat Mfumukeko has been the founder and president of the NGO “Excellence in Education for Development”which operates Bujumbura International University.
Rebecca Miano is a Kenyan lawyer and a continental business leader,currently serving as Cabinet Secretary for Tourism and Wildlife. She previously served as the Cabinet Secretary for Investments,Trade &Industry from October 2023 to July 2024. She is a former Cabinet Secretary for East African Community,the ASALs and Regional Development.Before joining Cabinet,she was the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of KenGen Plc.,the largest producer of electricity in the East African region from November 2017. She was confirmed on 1 November 2017,having served in acting capacity since August 2017.
Monica Kathina Juma is a Kenyan diplomat who currently serves as National Security Advisor to President William Ruto. She previously served as the Cabinet Secretary for Defence in the cabinet of President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Geoffrey Aori Mabea is an energy economist and corporate executive and the current Executive Secretary of the Energy Regulators Association of East Africa. He assumed office in 2020 as the first Executive Secretary of the regional Organisation with the mandate of spearheading establishment of the East African Community Energy Union. Prior to joining EREA,he was a researcher at the University of Dundee. He also served as a capital projects advisor with PwC.
Martin Karoli Ngoga is a Rwandan Lawyer and politician,ex-speaker for East African Legislative Assembly. He is also a former Prosecutor General of Rwanda and Special Representative to International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.
The 21st EAC Ordinary summit was held between 22 February 2021 to 25 February 2021 virtually. This was the first summit held after the start of COVID-19 pandemic. The summit focused on considering applications of new members along with re-organizing the leadership of the bloc. The leadership of the community was transferred from Paul Kagame of Rwanda to Uhuru Kenyatta or Kenya.
Peninah Malonza,OGW,is a Kenyan politician who served as the cabinet secretary for Ministry of EAC,Arid and Semi-Arid Lands and Regional Development,in the Cabinet of Kenya,and ex officio member of the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) effective 5 October 2023 to July 11,2024. She was dismissed from the cabinet in July 2024. Prior to this appointment,from 27 September 2022 until 4 October 2023,she served as the cabinet secretary for tourism,wildlife and heritage,the president of the 13th Governing Council of the Parties to Lusaka Agreement Task Force (LATF) on Cooperative Enforcement Operations Directed at Illegal Trade in Wild Fauna and Flora as well as the vice chairperson of World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Regional Commission for Africa (CAF).
An African Union (AU) Commission Chairperson election will be held in February 2025 to choose the fifth Commission Chair to succeed incumbent Chairperson Moussa Faki.
Veronica Mueni Nduva is the 7th and current Secretary-General of the East African Community. She is the first woman to be appointed in this role.
