President Salva Kiir shook hands with his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame before handing over regional leadership to Kenya's William Ruto. Photo Credit: EAC

South Sudan and other partner states have been given until June 2025 to conclude their national consultations on the East African Political Confederation Constitution, following the completion of the process by Burundi, Uganda, and Kenya.

A communique seen by Eye Radio, released by the 24th Ordinary East African Community Heads of State Summit, set the deadline for the Republic of Rwanda, the United Republic of Tanzania, and the Federal Republic of Somalia to finalize their national consultations.

The same deadline was also extended to the Democratic Republic of Congo to complete its national consultations on the EAC Political Confederation constitution.

“Directed the Republic of Rwanda, the Republic of South Sudan, The United Republic of Tanzania, The Democratic of Congo, and The Federal Republic of Somalia to conclude national consultations on the East African Political Confederation Constitution by 25th June 2024,” stated the statement.

According to the Kenyan President, a survey taken way back in 2010 indicated that East Africans were fully behind the integration process and supported the establishment of a political federation.

President William Ruto hailed the Republics of Burundi, Uganda and Kenya, which have already undertaken national consultations on the drafting of the constitution for the EAC Political Confederation, and thanked Rwanda, South Sudan and Tanzania for having set dates for national consultations on the process.

What is a Political Federation?

The Political Federation is the ultimate goal of the EAC Regional Integration, the fourth step after the Customs Union, Common Market and Monetary Union.

It is provided for under Article 5(2) of the Treaty for the Establishment of the East African Community and founded on three pillars: common foreign and security policies, good governance and effective implementation of the prior stages of Regional Integration.

It is worth noting that the attainment of the Political Federation is a process and not an event. Though the process has been slow, the EAC Heads of State resolved at a Special Summit held in Nairobi on 27-29 August 2004 to examine ways and means of deepening and accelerating the process through a fast-track Mechanism.

The Summit set up a Committee to Fast-Track the EAC Political Federation, dubbed the Wako Committee, to carry out wide consultations and finalise the work on the Political Federation. The Committee presented its report to the Summit on 29 November 2004.

As a result of the consultative process, the office of the Deputy Secretary-General responsible for the Political Federation was established in 2006 to coordinate this process.

Since 2004, the EAC has been putting in place initiatives to fast-track political integration. Summit directives were given and national consultations with stakeholders between 2006 and 2008 as well as various studies were undertaken to examine, facilitate and fast-track the process.

In the consultations, it became clear that the East African citizens want to be adequately engaged and to have a say in the decisions and policies pursued by the East African Community.

On 20th May 2017, the EAC Heads of State adopted the Political Confederation as a transitional model of the East African Political Federation.