EAC kicks off public consultations on drafting the Constitution for Political Confederation in Rwanda

East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 16th June, 2026:The East African Community's (EAC) quest for a politically integrated region has gathered renewed momentum, with the Republic of Rwanda officially launching national consultations on the drafting of the Constitution of the East African Community Political Confederation.

The consultations, launched in Kigali on 15^th June 2026, aim to gather citizens' views on the proposed Political Confederation and ensure that East Africans are active participants in shaping the future direction of the region.

The Political Confederation is a transitional model towards the ultimate goal of a Political Federation of the East African Community and is intended to provide a framework for deeper political cooperation, coordination, and governance among EAC Partner States.

Speaking during the launch, Rwanda's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Hon. Dr. Uster Kayitesi, reaffirmed Rwanda's commitment to the regional integration process and welcomed the opportunity for Rwandans to contribute directly to shaping the future of the Community.

"Rwanda's commitment to regional integration is rooted in our conviction that many of the opportunities and challenges facing our countries require collective action. Whether we consider trade and investment or infrastructure development, cooperation provides a stronger foundation for progress than working in isolation," she said.

The Minister encouraged citizens to openly share their views, aspirations, and expectations on the proposed Political Confederation, noting that public participation would be critical in shaping a constitutional framework that reflects the interests of East Africans.

On his part, the EAC Secretary General, Hon. Amb. Stephen P. Mbundi, noted that the consultations in Rwanda will be held over the next two weeks across Kigali, Rubavu, Huye, and Nyagatare.

He highlighted that the engagements will bring together a broad spectrum 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 engagements are designed to deepen public participation in shaping the institutional and governance framework of the Political Confederation and to ensure that Rwanda's perspectives are fully reflected in the draft Constitution," he said.

Hon. Mbundi further reflected on the Community's journey towards political integration, highlighting the progress that has been made over the years.

The journey towards the current consultations dates back to 2004 when the EAC Heads of State established the Wako Committee on fast-tracking the East African Political Federation to examine ways of accelerating the integration process. This was followed by extensive consultations across the Partner States to gather the views and aspirations of East Africans.

Subsequent consultations revealed broad convergence among East Africans on the need for a gradual and practical approach to political integration. As a result, the EAC Heads of State, at their 18th Ordinary Summit in 2017, adopted a Political Confederation as the transitional model towards the eventual Political Federation and directed the commencement of the process to develop a Constitution for the East African Political Confederation.

A regional launch of the Constitution-making process was subsequently held in Entebbe, Uganda, in 2018 under the guidance of H.E. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, who was appointed by the Summit to provide political leadership to the process.

Rwanda's Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Amb. Fidelis Mironko, underscored the importance of ensuring that citizens remain at the centre of the Constitution-making process.

"This consultation process provides an important platform for citizens to contribute their views and aspirations towards the future of East Africa. The views gathered through these engagements will help shape a Constitution that reflects the hopes and ambitions of our people," he said.

The Chairperson of the Constitutional Experts Team and Chief Justice Emeritus of Uganda, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Odoki, highlighted the importance of citizen participation in strengthening the draft Constitution.

"The Constitution belongs to the people of East Africa. We therefore encourage all stakeholders to actively participate and share their views so that the final document reflects the aspirations, interests, and expectations of our citizens," he said.

The draft Constitution is being developed by Constitutional Experts appointed by the EAC Council of Ministers in 2019. Since commencing their work, the Experts have undertaken comparative studies of confederation systems across the world and reviewed EAC legal and institutional instruments, including the Treaty and Protocols, to ensure coherence and alignment with the proposed model.

The Rwanda consultations form part of a broader regional exercise across EAC Partner States aimed at building consensus on the governance structures and institutional arrangements of the proposed Political Confederation.

The Political Confederation represents the transitional stage in the EAC's integration process towards the ultimate goal of a Political Federation of East African States. It is the fourth and final pillar of integration, following the Customs Union, Common Market, and Monetary Union.

For more information, please contact:

Lillian Kiarie
Communications & Media Expert- Office of the EAC Secretary General
Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Department
EAC Secretariat
Arusha, Tanzania
Tel: +254 723 797 226
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
http://www.eac.int