Pan-Africanist scholar and former East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) Member of Parliament candidate Tendo Kisembo has called for stronger political commitment and sustainable financing mechanisms to advance the integration agenda of the East African Community (EAC).
Kisembo warned that weak prioritization of regional cooperation among partner states risks slowing progress toward deeper economic and political integration.
Speaking to Canary Mugume during Next Big Talk hosted by Next Radio on Monday, Kisembo said the regional bloc has long struggled with limited political goodwill from some of its member states.
"There has been an issue with the political goodwill and prioritization of the integration agenda by the EAC partner states. The funding model has also become a very sticky point when it comes to pushing the agenda of EAC integration," he said.
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However, he welcomed resolutions adopted during the 25th Ordinary Summit of EAC Heads of State, where leaders agreed to review the Community's financing mechanism.
Kisembo said the move could help address long-standing budgetary challenges that have constrained the operations of regional institutions.
"I'm happy that the member states, during the 25th Ordinary Summit of Heads of State, moved to have the funding mechanism reviewed," he said.
Kisembo also expressed optimism about Uganda's leadership of the regional bloc after President Yoweri Museveni assumed the chairmanship of the EAC Heads of State Summit.
Museveni succeeded Kenyan President William Ruto during the 25th Ordinary Summit of EAC Heads of State held in Arusha, Tanzania on Saturday.
The transition places Uganda at the helm of the eight-member regional bloc for the 2026-2027 term, a period expected to focus on strengthening economic cooperation, addressing regional security challenges, and resolving financial constraints affecting the Community.
"President Museveni's leadership as Chairman of the EAC Heads of State Summit, together with Ambassador Stephen Patrick Mbundi, guarantees that we are back on track as the EAC," Kisembo said.
His remarks come amid growing concern among former EALA legislators and regional affairs analysts who warn that the EAC could face significant strain unless member states demonstrate stronger commitment to the integration agenda.
Observers note that some of the challenges currently facing the regional bloc echo those that led to the collapse of the original East African Community in 1977.
The first EAC, established in 1967 by Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, collapsed after a decade due to political disagreements, trade imbalances, and disputes over national sovereignty.
The Community was later revived in 1999 with the objective of promoting regional cooperation through a customs union, a common market, and eventual political federation.
However, more than two decades after its revival, analysts say implementation of several key protocols remains uneven.
Former EALA members such as Lydia Wanyoto and Bernard Kasangavu Mulengani have previously argued that the rapid expansion of the Community--now comprising eight partner states--has outpaced the consolidation of its institutional frameworks.
Meanwhile, James Nsaba Buturo, Chairperson of Parliament's Committee on EAC Affairs, has pointed to limited political will among some partner states as a major obstacle to deeper integration.
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According to Buturo, delayed implementation of agreed policies, weak unity among member states, and shifting political priorities among new leadership in some countries continue to slow the pace of integration.
The East African Community has also experienced periodic diplomatic and trade tensions, including past border closures between Uganda and Rwanda, trade disputes between Kenya and Tanzania, and security-related tensions between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Experts say such disputes, combined with delays in member states' financial contributions, undermine confidence in regional institutions and complicate the implementation of integration programs.
Analysts warn that unless partner states strengthen political commitment, ensure timely financial contributions, and prioritize regional cooperation, the EAC's vision of deeper economic and political unity could face prolonged challenges.
