The discussions focused on the ongoing work towards the East African Political Confederation, with particular attention to progress on drafting its Constitution and the next steps in advancing the regional integration agenda.

The meeting comes as the EAC continues region-wide consultations on the proposed Political Confederation, a transitional arrangement adopted by Heads of State in 2017 as a pathway towards the eventual Political Federation of East African States.

In Rwanda, the consultations were launched on June 15 and were conducted across different parts of the country, including Kigali, Rubavu, Huye and Nyagatare. The two-week exercise, which concludes on June 27, is aimed at gathering citizens’ and stakeholders’ views to inform the drafting of the Constitution of the Political Confederation.

The consultations have brought together participants from government institutions, Parliament, the judiciary, academia, civil society, the private sector, youth and women’s groups, faith-based organisations, persons with disabilities, political parties and the media.

According to the EAC Secretariat, the views collected across Partner States will inform the development of the governance framework of the Political Confederation and help define institutional structures for the next phase of regional integration.

EAC officials describe the process as a key milestone in the broader integration agenda, which also includes the Customs Union, Common Market, and ongoing implementation of the Monetary Union Protocol, as Partner States work towards deeper economic and political integration.

Speaking during earlier phases of the consultations, EAC officials emphasized the importance of citizen participation in shaping the integration framework.

“This is not merely an exercise. The Treaty is very clear that the Community is people-centred, and therefore, citizens must be consulted when major decisions about our integration are being made,” said EAC Secretary General Ambassador Stephen Mbundi.