President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda has replaced Kenya’s William Ruto as the Chairperson of the East African Community (EAC).
Museveni took over the role during the 25th Ordinary Summit of the EAC Heads of State held at Arusha International Conference Centre in Tanzania on Saturday.
President Ruto has held the position since November 2024. Museveni will serve a one-year term from March 2026 to March 2027.
“The President of the Republic of Uganda, H.E. Kaguta Museveni, takes over the Chairmanship of the EAC from the President of the Republic of Kenya, H.E. William Ruto. The Republic of Rwanda will serve as the Rapporteur,” EAC said in a statement.
In the new role, Museveni will be expected to guide the bloc in addressing these challenges while advancing regional integration.
During the summit, Ambassador Stephen Patrick Mbundi was appointed as the new Secretary General and will serve for a five-year term until 2031.
Mbudi has extensive experience in regional integration and, until his appointment, served as the Permanent Secretary, responsible for EAC Affairs, in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation of Tanzania.
At the same time, the summit launched the seventh East African Community development strategy 2026-2031 and directed the council of ministers as well as the EAC Secretari mobilize resources for its implementation.
The East African Community comprises Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Somalia, the DRC, Burundi, Rwanda, and South Sudan.
The organisation was founded in 1967 but collapsed in 1977 before it was revived on 7 July 2000. The main objective of the EAC is to foster regional economic integration.
