Politics 17 March 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
Museveni Takes EAC Helm: Path to Umoja Hinges on Timely Budgets and Unity
President Museveni has assumed the EAC chairmanship amid growing intra-regional trade but persistent funding crises, with calls for financial discipline to unlock industrialization for 300 million people. Reforms approved in Arusha aim to enforce contributions and remove barriers towards deeper integration. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/oped/commentary/from-uhuru-to-umoja-east-africa-is-at-the-threshold-of-itself-5394784
President Yoweri Museveni has taken over as chairperson of the East African Community (EAC) Summit in Arusha, Tanzania, on March 7. The summit also endorsed Amb. Stephen Patrick Mbundi from Tanzania as the new EAC secretary general.
Museveni’s long history with regional integration, from its revival in 2000 after the 1977 collapse, adds significance to his leadership. The EAC now includes eight nations: Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, DR Congo, and Somalia. Intra-regional trade hit $40.3 billion in 2025, up 22% from the prior year.
Yet challenges persist. The East African Legislative Assembly has been in recess since July 2025 due to funding shortages. The East African Court of Justice handles 260 pending cases but meets only four times yearly. Statutory arrears total $89 million, forcing hiring freezes and 150 vacant positions.
Museveni labels this ‘okukonesa’—failing to apply enough heat to the integration process. Leaders responded with an equity-based funding model, adjusted quorum rules, and a 50% arrears waiver if paid in full within two years.
Uganda has met 99% of its obligations, setting a standard for others. Priorities include eliminating non-tariff barriers, advancing the common market, promoting Kiswahili, and fostering integration symbols.
The region’s 300 million people offer a market for large-scale industrialization, turning small-scale producers into wealth generators by opening borders.
Uhuru is secured; Umoja demands timely budgets, open borders, funded institutions, and youth involvement for a federated East Africa.
Source: Daily Monitor (Uganda)