By KPC Reporter
The East African Community’s (EAC) push toward deeper political integration has gained fresh momentum after Rwanda officially launched nationwide public consultations on the draft Constitution of the proposed EAC Political Confederation.
The consultations, launched in Kigali on 15 June 2026, are designed to collect citizens’ views on the emerging governance framework and ensure East Africans actively shape the future of regional integration.
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The Political Confederation is envisioned as a transitional step toward a full Political Federation of EAC Partner States, strengthening coordination and political cooperation across the region.
Speaking at the launch, Rwanda’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Dr. Uster Kayitesi, reaffirmed Kigali’s commitment to regional integration, stressing that collective action remains essential in addressing shared challenges and opportunities.
“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.
She urged citizens to actively participate in shaping the proposed framework, noting that broad public input would be critical in ensuring legitimacy and inclusivity in the final Constitution.
EAC Secretary General Amb. Stephen P. Mbundi said the Rwanda consultations will run for two weeks across Kigali, Rubavu, Huye, and Nyagatare, bringing together 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.
Mbundi traced the integration journey back to 2004, when the EAC Heads of State established the Wako Committee to fast-track political federation.
He noted that subsequent consultations across Partner States revealed strong support for a gradual approach, leading to the adoption of the Political Confederation model at the 18th Ordinary Summit in 2017.
The constitutional drafting process was officially launched in Entebbe, Uganda, in 2018 under the guidance of President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, who was tasked with providing political leadership to the initiative.
Rwanda’s Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Amb. Fidelis Mironko, emphasised the importance of citizen-centred constitution-making, saying public input would shape a document reflecting the aspirations of East Africans.
“The views gathered through these engagements will help shape a Constitution that reflects the hopes and ambitions of our people,” he said.
Benjamin Odoki, Chairperson of the Constitutional Experts Team and Chief Justice Emeritus of Uganda, also underscored the importance of inclusive participation, noting that the Constitution must reflect the expectations of East African citizens.
The draft Constitution is being developed by experts appointed by the EAC Council of Ministers in 2019, who have undertaken comparative studies of confederation systems and reviewed existing EAC legal frameworks to ensure alignment with the proposed model.
The Rwanda consultations form part of a broader regional exercise across Partner States as the EAC advances its fourth and final integration pillar—political federation—following the Customs Union, Common Market, and Monetary Union.
