BY THE ARUSHA NEWS REPORTER
Leaders of the East African Community (EAC) will meet in Arusha on March 7, 2026, for an ordinary Summit as the regional bloc confronts deepening financial strain and a significant leadership transition. The high-level meeting comes at a critical moment for the Community which is grappling with mounting budgetary pressures caused by delayed remittances from several Partner States. The funding shortfall has disrupted the operations of key EAC organs, including the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) and the East African Court of Justice (EACJ), raising concerns about the sustainability of the regional integration agenda.
Of the eight Partner States, only the three founding members – Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda-have consistently honoured their financial obligations. Most of the remaining members remain in arrears, with Rwanda making partial contributions. The EAC Partner States are Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Rwanda, Somalia and South Sudan. Each country is required to contribute US$7.1 million annually towards the Community’s budget, supplemented by support from development partners.
However, in the 2025/26 financial year, the EAC has received only about 40 per cent of the assessed contributions, largely from Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda, with partial remittances from Rwanda. The financial constraints have had tangible consequences. East African legislators have reportedly gone without salaries for the past four months, further affecting the functioning of the Assembly and casting a spotlight on the bloc’s fiscal sustainability.
At the centre of the Summit will be proposals aimed at stabilising the Community’s finances. Heads of State are expected to review the current equal-contribution formula and consider alternative financing mechanisms that could provide a more predictable and sustainable revenue base particularly as the bloc continues to expand both its membership and programme portfolio.
Another key item on the agenda will be the appointment of a new Secretary-General (SG). The term of the current SG, Ms Veronica Nduva of Kenya, has ended and leaders are expected to agree on her successor in line with the Community’s rotational principles and established procedures. Ms Nduva was sworn-in in June 2024 following the recalling home of Mr Peter Mathuki by the Kenyan government midway through his term.
The Summit will also mark the end of Kenyan President William Ruto’s tenure as Chairperson of the EAC Summit. Under the bloc’s annual rotational arrangement, a new Head of State is expected to assume the chairmanship and steer the Community over the next year. The meeting will be preceded by sessions of the EAC Council of Ministers beginning on March 2.
