ARUSHA, Tanzania — Leaders of the East African Community have approved sweeping governance and financial reforms aimed at strengthening the bloc’s institutions and improving decision-making processes.
The decisions were adopted during the 25th Ordinary Summit of EAC Heads of State held in Arusha, where leaders from eight partner states deliberated on regional integration, institutional reforms, and financial sustainability.
One of the key changes agreed upon concerns how decisions within the Community will be made. While consensus will remain the preferred approach, the bloc has introduced a new provision allowing decisions to be adopted with at least 65.0pc support from partner states when consensus cannot be achieved.
Outgoing chairperson William Ruto noted that reaching consensus among member states had increasingly become difficult as the Community expanded.
The summit also approved a new funding model for the regional bloc, abandoning the previous formula in which partner states contributed equal amounts to the Community’s budget.
Under the revised arrangement, 50.0pc of the EAC budget will be contributed equally by member states, while the remaining 50.0pc will be determined through assessed contributions linked to the size of each country’s economy.
Analysts say the change is intended to create a more sustainable financing structure as the Community continues to expand and undertake more ambitious regional programmes.
The leaders also addressed the issue of outstanding financial obligations by partner states. The summit agreed to waive 50.0pc of all arrears owed to the Community, with the remaining balance to be settled within the next two years.
In another significant institutional reform, the summit resolved that five senior leadership positions within the Community will be reserved for countries that have ratified the EAC Treaty.
The positions include the Secretary-General, Speaker of the East African Legislative Assembly, President of the East African Court of Justice, and the two Deputy Secretaries-General.
Regional leaders said the move aims to encourage compliance with treaty obligations and strengthen commitment to the bloc’s legal and governance framework.
The summit also marked a leadership transition within the Community. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni assumed the rotating chairmanship of the bloc, taking over from Kenya’s President William Ruto.
At the same time, Rwanda was appointed as the Community’s Rapporteur, a role that supports coordination and documentation of summit decisions.
The East African Community currently comprises eight partner states — Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Uganda, Tanzania, and Somalia.
Officials said the reforms represent a significant step in modernising the bloc’s governance framework as it seeks deeper economic integration, stronger institutions, and more effective decision-making mechanisms across the region.
