EAC launches public consultations in Rwanda on drafting Constitution for Political Confederation
The consultations are intended to provide citizens and stakeholders with an opportunity to share their views on how the Political Confederation should be structured and governed, and how it can best serve the people of East Africa
KIGALI, June 17, 2026 — The East African Community [EAC] has officially launched national consultations in Rwanda on the drafting of the Constitution for the EAC Political Confederation.
The consultations are intended to provide citizens and stakeholders with an opportunity to share their views on how the Political Confederation should be structured and governed, and how it can best serve the people of East Africa.
The exercise will be conducted over the next two weeks in Kigali, Rubavu, Huye and Nyagatare.
Launching the consultations in Kigali on Tuesday, Rwanda’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Usta Kayitesi, reaffirmed Rwanda’s commitment to regional integration and welcomed the opportunity for citizens to directly contribute to shaping the future of the Community.
“Rwanda’s commitment is grounded in the understanding that many of the region’s opportunities and challenges require collective action. Cooperation offers a stronger foundation for progress than working in isolation,” she said.
The Minister urged citizens to openly share their views, aspirations and expectations regarding the proposed Political Confederation, stressing that public participation would be critical in shaping a constitutional framework that reflects the interests of East Africans.
Speaking at the launch, EAC Secretary General Amb. Stephen P. Mbundi said the consultations would bring together a broad range of stakeholders, including government institutions, Parliament, the Judiciary, academia, civil society organisations, 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.
The Political Confederation is a transitional model towards the ultimate goal of establishing an EAC Political Federation and is intended to provide a framework for deeper political cooperation, coordination and governance among EAC Partner States.
The EAC Secretariat has called upon stakeholders across Rwanda to actively participate in the consultations and contribute views towards developing a Constitution that will guide the establishment of the EAC Political Confederation.
The national consultations form part of a wider regional process being undertaken across EAC Partner States to gather public views and build consensus on the governance structures and institutional arrangements of the proposed Political Confederation.
The EAC Political Confederation represents the fourth and final pillar of the region’s integration agenda, following the Customs Union, Common Market and Monetary Union.
The model was adopted by the Summit of EAC Heads of State in May 2017 as a framework to deepen political integration while preparing Partner States for eventual federation.
A Team of Experts appointed by the Summit in February 2018 is overseeing the constitution-making process. The team is chaired by retired Chief Justice of Uganda, Justice Benjamin Odoki, with former Attorney General of Kenya Senator Amos Wako serving as deputy chairperson.
The Confederation is expected to strengthen coordination among Partner States in key areas including political affairs, peace and security, foreign policy coordination and regional governance, while laying the foundation for a future Political Federation.
The EAC consists of eight full member states: Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda.
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