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EAC Hosts 7th Secretary General’s Forum to Strengthen Regional Integration
The East African Community (EAC) convened its 7th Secretary General’s Forum on December 10, 2024, in Nairobi, bringing together key stakeholders to deliberate on ways to deepen regional integration. The event provided an avenue for addressing critical issues, including economic growth, social development, peace, and security, while reflecting on progress made over the years and charting a path forward for the bloc.
The forum tackled several key areas, such as drafting a constitution for the EAC political confederation, amending the EAC Treaty to align with the expanding membership, and fostering strategies to enhance integration. Stakeholders used the platform to share experiences, explore best practices, and propose solutions to challenges hindering the region’s development.
Felix Koskei, Kenya’s Chief of Staff and Head of Public Service, graced the event as the Chief Guest, reaffirming President William Ruto’s commitment to advancing the EAC’s agenda as the current Chairperson of the Summit of Heads of State. He lauded the bloc’s achievements, including enhanced intra-regional trade, improved infrastructure, and empowerment of the youth, which have collectively advanced the region’s socio-economic standing.
2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) by EAC member states symbolizes the region’s commitment to unity and collaboration. He highlighted this milestone as a stepping stone to future initiatives such as joint infrastructure projects and social integration programs. “These achievements underscore the immense potential of working together as a community,” he remarked.
Accountability and transparency were emphasized as critical components of regional integration. Koskei commended the EAC for maintaining a clean audit record and called for increased citizen participation in regional activities through various platforms. He pointed to key citizen-centered achievements like the EAC e-Passport, which has facilitated free movement across member states since its introduction in 2016. The Single Tourist Visa, introduced in 2014, has also enabled seamless travel for tourists between Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda, with plans to include more member states in the initiative.
EAC Secretary General Veronica Nduva highlighted the progress achieved over the past 25 years, particularly through implementing the Customs Union, Common Market, and Monetary Union protocols. She noted that these frameworks have significantly reduced barriers to trade and improved the movement of goods, services, and people across the region. Initiatives like the Electronic Single Window System and the East African Electronic Passport were praised for enhancing trade efficiency and simplifying customs procedures.
Nduva also emphasized infrastructure upgrades along key trade corridors, which have drastically reduced transit times and streamlined customs processes. For instance, the time taken to transport goods from Mombasa to Kigali has decreased from 21 days to just 3 days, while border crossing times have been cut by 70% thanks to One Stop Border Posts (OSBPs).
The Electronic Single Window System, combined with improved tracking mechanisms, has enhanced trade efficiency, generating significant savings for businesses in the region.
Regional trade has flourished as a result of these efforts. Intra-EAC trade grew from USD 6.2 billion in 2017 to USD 13.8 billion in 2023, while trade with the rest of the world rose from USD 65.3 billion to USD 109.4 billion over the same period. The EAC’s participation in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) has further boosted trade within Africa, contributing to a rise from USD 19.4 billion in 2017 to USD 24.4 billion in 2023.
The forum brought together high-profile participants, including ministers, civil society representatives, business leaders, and development partners. Through presentations, exhibitions, and stakeholder testimonies, the meeting offered a platform to reflect on 25 years of regional integration and generate actionable recommendations for the EAC Council of Ministers.
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