Eastern and Southern African Managment Institute Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 15th March, 2025: Regional Heads of Public Service and Ministers in charge of East African Community (EAC) Affairs from the EAC Partner States have committed to take decisive action to ensure the mainstreaming of regional integration into national policies as part of efforts to equip government leaders to effectively drive the EAC integration agenda.
The move aims at aiding in overcoming regional challenges and unlocking the full economic potential of the region.
The leaders convened from 13 to 14 March in Arusha, Tanzania, for a two-day dialogue themed, “Delivering as One: Coordination, Integration, Alignment & Progress Tracking of EAC Initiatives”
The meeting identified several barriers hindering integration, including fragmented national policies, capacity amongst Ministries, Departments and Agencies in Partner States to drive the integration agenda, inadequate budgetary allocation and lack of clear results oriented key performance indicators to track progress on integration, mainstreamed in the whole of government. They noted that this has negatively impacted the implementation of EAC commitments and undermined the region’s potential to optimize benefits that accrue to citizens through regional integration.The leaders highlighted weak regional integration governance frameworks that have hitherto not provided a platform for regional Heads of Public Service to be seized of integration efforts from a region-wide perspective. They also noted this limits effective alignment of national governance with regional priorities.
To address these challenges, the meeting called for a robust monitoring mechanism to track the alignment of national commitments with regional objectives. This mechanism will ensure measurable progress and reinforce accountability across all levels of governance.
The forum emphasised the need for stronger policy alignment, sustained collaboration, reinforced
accountability measures and a sustainable financing mechanism for regional integration. The leaders also stressed the importance of implementing a performance monitoring framework to guarantee consistent progress in the harmonisation of regional integration and governance.
The Chairperson of the EAC Council of Ministers and Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for EAC, Arid and Semi-Arid Lands & Regional Development, Hon. Beatrice Askul Moe, urged the Heads of Public Service from the Partner States to ensure compliance with commitments made at the regional level.
“We must acknowledge that the pace of implementation of regional protocols and decisions has sometimes fallen short of our aspirations. As Heads of Public Service, you are uniquely positioned to ensure compliance with commitments made at the regional level. Your oversight can help identify bottlenecks, address implementation challenges and hold relevant agencies accountable for their
regional obligations,” said Hon. Moe.
On his part, the Chief of Staff and Head of Public Service, Kenya, Mr. Felix Koskei, called on all EAC Partner States to prioritise fulfilling their financial obligations to the EAC to continue enjoying the benefits of integration. Mr. Koskei called for the implementation of directives made by EAC Heads of State, ratification of protocols and instruments, and deepening of trust between Partner States. He further emphasized citizen participation in regional integration initiatives.
Speaking during the same event, Uganda’s Minister for EAC Affairs and First Deputy Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga, stressed the importance of the Heads of Public Service familiarising themselves with regional laws, as these laws become binding once passed.
She called on Partner States to be firm in their commitments, stressing the importance of walking the talk and following through on promises to drive true integration within the Community.
Hon. Kadaga underscored the need to understand how to onboard new members, track actions and implement directives effectively. Additionally, she raised the issue of strengthening coordination between the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) and the region’s National Parliaments to ensure the seamless integration of regional decisions into national policies.
On her part, Ms. Lucy Nakyobe, the Head of Public Service for the Republic of Uganda, emphasised the need for greater cohesion within the EAC, highlighting that working in silos and guarding national interests does not benefit the region as a whole.
She urged Partners States to focus on streamlining integration at the local government level to ensure that regional goals are effectively implemented.


