President William Ruto will on Friday travel to Arusha, Tanzania, to attend the 21st Ordinary Summit of the East African Community (EAC) Heads of State. The event is scheduled for November 29, 2024.
“Tomorrow in Arusha, the Heads of State of the EAC will be meeting. Among the targets we will focus on are improving the business environment, integrating our economies further, and approving the SEZ regulations agreed upon by ministers,” said Ruto.
He highlighted the recently approved EAC Special Economic Zones Regulations of 2024, which aim to facilitate the free movement of goods across member states. According to him, this will boost regional integration and position SEZs as key drivers of industrialisation and economic growth.
“Tomorrow, we will be expanding the horizon of SEZs to enhance the sale of goods within the East African region,” Ruto added.
The previous EAC Summit, the 20th Ordinary Summit, was held on February 4, 2023, in Bujumbura, Burundi. During the meeting, the Heads of State addressed the security situation in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). They called for an immediate ceasefire, withdrawal of all foreign armed groups, and dialogue among parties. Violations were to be reported to the Summit Chair for immediate consultation.
Additionally, the 23rd Extra-Ordinary Summit of the EAC Heads of State was held virtually on June 7, 2024, under the chairmanship of South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir Mayardit. The discussions included the appointment of a new EAC Secretary General and a judge to the East African Court of Justice, as well as a report on Partner States’ relations.
Ruto made the announcement on Thursday during his speech at the 9th Annual African Special Economic Zones (SEZ) meeting held at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC), Nairobi.
The EAC is a regional intergovernmental organisation comprising eight partner states: Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Uganda, and Tanzania, with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania. Somalia joined the EAC on November 23, 2023, and became a full member on March 4, 2024.
