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| EAC Secretariat | |
|---|---|
| Name | East African Community Secretariat |
| Formation | 2000 |
| Headquarters | Arusha, Tanzania |
| Leader title | Secretary General |
| Parent organization | East African Community |
EAC Secretariat The EAC Secretariat is the principal administrative organ of the East African Community, headquartered in Arusha, Tanzania. It serves as the central coordinating institution for regional integration among Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda, with recent enlargement engagements involving Democratic Republic of the Congo and prospects with Somalia. The Secretariat interfaces with multilateral bodies such as the African Union, the United Nations, the African Development Bank Group and bilateral partners including European Union, United States Department of State, Japan and China.
The Secretariat was established under the 1999/2000 revived East African Community (1999) treaty following earlier incarnations tied to the East African Federation (1967) dissolution and the colonial-era East African Common Services Organization. Early milestones included operationalization in Arusha and the appointment of inaugural leadership who negotiated protocols with World Bank and International Monetary Fund. Expansion phases paralleled accession of Burundi and Rwanda in 2007, South Sudan in 2016, and Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2022, each accession requiring treaty amendments and coordination with entities such as the United Nations Security Council and regional bloc counterparts like the Intergovernmental Authority on Development. The Secretariat’s evolution intersected with major regional events including the Great Lakes refugee crises, East African Community Customs Union implementation, and infrastructure projects linked to the Northern Corridor and the Standard Gauge Railway (Kenya).
Mandated by the East African Community (1999) treaty, the Secretariat’s functions include implementing decisions of the East African Legislative Assembly, servicing the East African Court of Justice, and coordinating policies among member states. It prepares and monitors regional protocols such as the East African Customs Union Protocol, the EAC Common Market Protocol, and sectoral strategies for transport corridors like the Central Corridor. The Secretariat liaises with development partners including the United Nations Development Programme, the African Union Commission, and the World Customs Organization to mobilize technical assistance for initiatives in health programs connected with World Health Organization frameworks and trade discussions at the World Trade Organization.
The Secretariat is headed by a Secretary General and supported by Deputy Secretaries General overseeing pillars mirroring sectors: Political Federation, Social Development, Infrastructure and Market Integration, and Corporate Services. Departments and units correspond to portfolios such as Legal Affairs (linked to the East African Court of Justice), Customs and Trade (engaging the East African Customs Union), Immigration and Labour (aligned with the EAC Common Market Protocol), and Projects Coordination (working with the African Development Bank). Technical working groups coordinate with entities including the Inter-Parliamentary Committee and external agencies such as USAID and JICA.
Each member state—Burundi, DR Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda—is represented in Council meetings by national ministers who interact with the Secretariat to implement regional directives. Representation mechanisms include the Council of Ministers, sectoral councils (e.g., Council of Ministers of Security Cooperation equivalents), and liaison offices that coordinate with national administrations including the Ministry of East African Community Affairs (Kenya) model and counterparts in Tanzania and Uganda. Accession processes involve legal scrutiny, transitional arrangements, and cooperation with supranational judiciaries like the East African Court of Justice.
The Secretariat manages flagship programs such as customs harmonization under the East African Customs Union Protocol, free movement facilitation under the EAC Common Market Protocol, regional infrastructure projects linked to the Northern Corridor and the Central Corridor, and sectoral initiatives in health, education and agriculture involving partners like the World Health Organization, UNICEF and the Food and Agriculture Organization. It coordinates the Regional Integration Strategic Plan and supports specialized funds and projects financed by the African Development Bank and bilateral partners including the European Union and Germany (Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development). Cross-border programs engage regional bodies such as the Intergovernmental Authority on Development and multilateral funds like the Global Fund.
The Secretariat’s budget is financed through assessed contributions from member states, supplemental funding from development partners such as the European Union, the World Bank, and bilateral donors including Japan International Cooperation Agency and United States Agency for International Development. Budgetary allocations are debated in the Council of Ministers and subjected to audit by regional oversight mechanisms and external auditors often coordinated with African Development Bank procedures. Financial management relates to large capital projects like the Standard Gauge Railway (Uganda) components and recurrent costs for staffing and program implementation.
Critics including opposition politicians, civil society networks and regional think tanks such as Africa Policy Research Institute have pointed to bureaucratic inefficiencies, slow protocol implementation, and perceived politicization in appointments. Reform proposals advocated by partner institutions like the World Bank and internal review panels recommend stronger performance management, greater transparency, budgetary accountability, and decentralization of project implementation to national implementing agencies and entities such as the East African Legislative Assembly. Recent reform debates have referenced comparative models from the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States to improve integration outcomes and stakeholder engagement.