President Paul Kagame on Friday received a delegation of constitutional experts from the East African Community (EAC) at Urugwiro Village, where discussions centered on advancing one of the region’s most ambitious integration initiatives—the establishment of the East African Political Confederation. The meeting brought together legal and constitutional specialists working on the confederation’s foundational framework, alongside senior officials from the EAC Secretariat led by Deputy Secretary-General Andrea Ariik Aguer, highlighting the continued commitment of partner states to strengthening regional cooperation through shared political and institutional structures.
The discussions focused on the progress made in drafting the Constitution that is expected to guide the proposed East African Political Confederation, a significant milestone in the East African Community’s long-term integration agenda. The constitutional drafting process is designed to establish the legal and governance framework that would support closer political collaboration among EAC member states while promoting common principles, institutional coordination, and mechanisms for collective decision-making. Participants also reviewed the next phases of the process, including continued consultations, technical refinement of the draft document, and coordination among partner states as the initiative advances.
President Kagame and the visiting delegation exchanged views on the importance of maintaining momentum toward achieving the objectives outlined in the East African Community’s integration roadmap. The Political Confederation represents one of the final stages of regional integration envisioned by the bloc, following the establishment of the Customs Union, the Common Market, and the Monetary Union. Leaders across the region have consistently emphasized that deeper political cooperation has the potential to strengthen regional stability, improve economic coordination, expand opportunities for trade and investment, and enable member states to address shared challenges through unified approaches.
The constitutional experts provided updates on the technical work undertaken to prepare a comprehensive governing framework that reflects the aspirations of East African citizens while respecting the diversity and sovereignty of member states. Their work involves examining governance structures, institutional responsibilities, legal safeguards, and mechanisms that could facilitate effective cooperation within a future political confederation. The drafting process also seeks to incorporate principles of democratic governance, accountability, regional solidarity, and sustainable development as the Community continues its evolution.
Andrea Ariik Aguer, leading the EAC Secretariat delegation, reaffirmed the Secretariat’s commitment to supporting partner states throughout the constitutional drafting process and ensuring that technical expertise continues to guide the development of the proposed framework. The Secretariat plays a coordinating role in facilitating dialogue among member states, organizing consultations with constitutional experts, and ensuring that the integration process remains aligned with the objectives established by the East African Community.
The meeting reflected the shared determination among EAC institutions and partner states to deepen regional integration through carefully planned legal and constitutional processes. Officials underscored that sustained dialogue, collaboration among experts, and continued political commitment will remain essential as work progresses toward completing the draft Constitution and preparing for subsequent stages of consideration by the Community’s leadership.
As East Africa continues to pursue greater regional unity, the ongoing constitutional process represents an important step toward shaping the future institutional architecture of the Community. The discussions held at Urugwiro Village reaffirmed the collective objective of building a stronger, more integrated East African region capable of promoting peace, economic growth, good governance, and long-term prosperity for its citizens through closer political cooperation and strengthened regional institutions.
