East Africa Community launches process to draft new Community Constitution

By  Filbert Rweyemamu

Mwandishi wa Habari

Mwananchi

Arusha. The East African Community (EAC) has launched consultations with citizens in Rwanda to gather views for the drafting of a Constitution for the proposed EAC Political Federation, the fourth and final pillar of regional integration following the Customs Union, Common Market, and Monetary Union.

The exercise has already been conducted in other Partner States, including Uganda, Kenya, and Burundi, and is now underway in Rwanda before proceeding to the remaining member countries.

The Transitional Political Federation is a framework designed to pave the way towards full political integration of the EAC, aimed at strengthening political cooperation, coordination, and governance among Partner States.

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Speaking during the launch, Rwanda’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dr Usta Kaitesi, reaffirmed her country’s commitment to regional integration, saying the process provides an opportunity for citizens to shape the future of the Community.

“Rwanda’s ambition in regional integration is rooted in the belief that many of the opportunities and challenges facing our countries require collective action. Whether in trade and investment or infrastructure development, cooperation provides a stronger foundation for progress than working in isolation,” she said.

She urged citizens to freely express their views, expectations, and aspirations on the proposed Political Federation, noting that public participation would be central in shaping a constitutional framework that reflects East Africans’ interests.

For his part, 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 a wide range of stakeholders, including government institutions, Parliament, the Judiciary, academia, civil society, the private sector, youth, 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, and to ensure Rwanda’s perspectives are fully reflected in the draft Constitution,” he said.

Mr Mbundi also highlighted progress made in the regional integration agenda, noting that the process has evolved through structured consultations among Partner States.

According to an EAC statement issued on June 17, 2026, the process dates back to 2004 when Heads of State established a committee to fast-track the East African Political Federation and explore ways of accelerating integration.

Subsequent consultations revealed a shared understanding among East Africans on the need for a gradual and pragmatic approach to political integration.

In 2017, the EAC Summit of Heads of State endorsed the Transitional Political Federation framework as an interim step towards full political federation and directed the drafting of a Constitution for the EAC Political Federation.

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

Rwanda’s Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Ambassador Fidelis Mironko, stressed the importance of placing citizens at the centre of the constitutional drafting process.

“This consultation provides an important platform for citizens to contribute their views and aspirations for the future of East Africa. The inputs collected will help shape a Constitution that reflects the hopes and aspirations of our people,” he said.

Chairperson of the Panel of Experts on Constitutional Matters and former Chief Justice of Uganda, Justice Benjamin Odoki, underscored the importance of public participation in strengthening the draft Constitution.

“The Constitution belongs to the people of East Africa. We therefore encourage all stakeholders to actively participate so that the final document reflects the aspirations, interests, and needs of our citizens,” he said.

The draft Constitution is being prepared by a team of constitutional experts appointed by the EAC Council of Ministers in 2019.

Since then, the experts have undertaken comparative studies of federal systems worldwide and reviewed EAC legal and institutional frameworks, including the Treaty and Protocols, to ensure coherence with the proposed structure.

The consultations in Rwanda form part of a wider regional exercise across Partner States aimed at building consensus on governance and institutional arrangements for the proposed Political Federation.

The Transitional Political Federation is regarded as a key step towards the ultimate goal of a fully-fledged Political Federation of East African States, the fourth and final pillar of integration following the Customs Union, Common Market, and Monetary Union.