EAC opens Political Federation talks

By  Filbert Rweyemamu

Mwandishi wa Habari

Mwananchi

Arusha. The East African Community (EAC) has launched citizen consultations in Rwanda as part of the process of drafting a Constitution for the proposed EAC Political Federation.

The exercise, which has already been conducted in Uganda, Kenya and Burundi, seeks public views on the future political structure of the bloc. It is now underway in Rwanda before moving to remaining Partner States.

The Political Federation is the fourth and final stage of EAC integration, following the Customs Union, Common Market and the planned Monetary Union.

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Speaking during the launch, Rwanda’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dr Usta Kaitesi, said regional integration remains central to addressing shared challenges and opportunities.

“Whether in trade, investment or infrastructure development, cooperation provides a stronger foundation for progress than working in isolation,” she said.

She urged citizens to participate freely in the consultations, saying their views would help shape a governance framework for the proposed federation.

EAC Secretary General Ambassador Stephen Mbundi said the consultations in Rwanda will run for two weeks in Kigali, Rubavu, Huye and Nyagatare.

He said the exercise will engage government institutions, Parliament, the Judiciary, academia, civil society, the private sector, youth groups, women, persons with disabilities, faith-based organisations, political parties and the media.

“These consultations are designed to enhance public participation in shaping the institutional and governance framework of the Political Federation,” he said.

Ambassador Mbundi said the integration process has evolved through structured consultations among Partner States since its launch. According to an EAC statement issued on June 17, 2026, the process dates back to 2004 when Heads of State established a committee to explore ways of fast-tracking political integration. In 2017, the EAC Summit endorsed a Transitional Political Federation framework as an interim step and directed the drafting of a Constitution.

The regional launch of the drafting process was held in Entebbe, Uganda, in 2018 under the leadership of President Yoweri Museveni, who was appointed to provide political guidance.

Rwanda’s Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Fidelis Mironko, said citizen participation is central to the process.

“The consultation provides a platform for citizens to contribute views and aspirations for the future of East Africa,” he said.

Chairperson of the Panel of Experts on Constitutional Matters and former Ugandan Chief Justice Benjamin Odoki said public input will help strengthen the draft Constitution.

“The Constitution belongs to the people of East Africa,” he said. The draft Constitution is being prepared by a team of experts appointed by the EAC Council of Ministers in 2019.

It is informed by comparative studies of federal systems and reviews of EAC legal and institutional frameworks.

The consultations are part of a wider regional exercise aimed at building consensus on governance arrangements for the proposed Political Federation.