ARUSHA, Tanzania — Former Chief Registrar of the Judiciary Anne Atieno Amadi was on Saturday sworn in as a judge of the First Instance Division of the East African Court of Justice (EACJ), marking her transition from national judicial administration to a regional judicial role.
Amadi, who served as Chief Registrar of the Judiciary in Kenya between 2014 and 2024, oversaw key administrative functions within the Kenyan court system and played a prominent role in major constitutional ceremonies, including administering the presidential oaths of office to William Ruto and former president Uhuru Kenyatta.
Her appointment to the regional court comes amid efforts by the East African Community (EAC) to strengthen institutional governance and judicial oversight under the bloc’s founding treaty.
The swearing-in coincided with the 25th Ordinary Summit of the East African Community Heads of State held in Arusha, where leaders from the bloc’s eight partner states convened to deliberate on regional integration and governance reforms.
The summit brought together leaders from Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Uganda, Tanzania, and Somalia.
Among the major resolutions adopted was a new financing formula for the Community aimed at improving financial sustainability. Under the framework, 50pc of the EAC budget will be shared equally among partner states, while the remaining 50pc will be determined through assessed contributions.
The new arrangement is expected to take effect on July 1, 2026.
Regional leaders also agreed to waive 50pc of outstanding arrears owed by partner states to the Community, with the remaining balance expected to be cleared within two years.
The summit further adopted governance changes affecting decision-making within EAC institutions, including setting the quorum for official meetings at two-thirds of the partner states.
Leadership within the bloc also changed hands during the summit. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni assumed the rotating chairmanship of the EAC from William Ruto, while Rwanda was appointed as the Community’s Rapporteur.
In addition, Stephen Patrick Mbundi was confirmed as Secretary-General of the East African Community for the 2026–2031 term. The Tanzanian diplomat brings years of experience in regional diplomacy and integration initiatives.
The summit also endorsed additional judicial appointments to the East African Court of Justice, including Stephen Simon Benjingwa of South Sudan and Abdullahi Warsame of Somalia.
The East African Court of Justice serves as the judicial arm of the regional bloc, tasked with ensuring adherence to the treaty and resolving disputes involving member states, institutions, and individuals within the Community’s legal framework.
