EAC: Conclusion

This report provides policy recommendations for the East African Community (EAC) to address development shortfalls, regional instability, and socio-economic inequalities. It emphasizes the need for harmonized national development plans, increased investment in infrastructure and education, and the implementation of regional frameworks for trade, governance, and security to ensure growth keeps pace with a rapidly expanding population.

• The East African Community (EAC) consists of eight member states, including new members Somalia and DR Congo. While the EAC is a useful space for coordination in sectors like agriculture, migration, infrastructure, and energy, regional growth is hindered by the challenge of aligning development plans and trajectories across members with unique challenges.
• Under the 'Current Path', the EAC is expected to grow steadily, with Rwanda and DR Congo showing progress toward meaningful development. However, this rate of change is insufficient for the region's rapidly growing population, necessitating interventions to combat income inequality and extreme poverty.
• To improve regional wellbeing, the report recommends several targeted interventions: investing in climate- and disaster-resilient WaSH infrastructure based on the 2023 WaSH Leadership Summit Principles of Action; implementing the EAC’s Food and Nutrition Security Action Plan; increasing education funding for materials, infrastructure, and teacher motivation; and aligning industrial policies under the EAC Industrialization Policy and Strategy, focusing first on agro-processing.
• Economic and governance improvements should focus on increasing trade openness through the AfCFTA and frameworks for competition policy and trade facilitation. The report also calls for the implementation of the EAC’s Sixth Development strategy to improve the investment environment and the East African Community Integrity and Anti-Corruption Bill of 2019 to ensure the rule of law and good governance.
• The EAC must address regional instability and human rights. Specifically, it should serve as a forum to resolve conflicts in South Sudan, Somalia, and eastern DR Congo. Additionally, the region needs to improve gender equality outcomes regarding violence against women and protect the freedom of expression and association for civil society.

APA

McLachlan, D. T. (2026). EAC: Conclusion. Institute for Security Studies. https://futures.issafrica.org/geographic/guide.pdf?geography=EAC&topic=05-conclusion

Chicago

McLachlan, Du Toit. EAC: Conclusion. Institute for Security Studies, 2026. https://futures.issafrica.org/geographic/guide.pdf?geography=EAC&topic=05-conclusion.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=McLachlan |first1=Du Toit |title=EAC: Conclusion |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=28 May 2026 |url=https://futures.issafrica.org/geographic/guide.pdf?geography=EAC&topic=05-conclusion |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{mclachlan2026eac, author = {McLachlan, Du Toit}, title = {{EAC: Conclusion}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2026}, month = may, url = {https://futures.issafrica.org/geographic/guide.pdf?geography=EAC&topic=05-conclusion}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }