Ruto elected EAC Chairman

By Peter Ochieng

President William Ruto has been elected the new East African Community Chairman (EAC).

He landed the seat during the 24th Ordinary Summit of the EAC Heads of State in Arusha, Tanzania. EAC comprises 8 member states, namely; Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, South Sudan, Rwanda, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Somalia.

President Ruto who will be in office for the next one year, takes over from South Sudan’s Salva Kiir. He commended President Salva Kiir for successfully steering the EAC wheel for the last one year.

"Congratulations your excellency; you made all of us proud. Under his leadership, the EAC has made immense strides in deepening integration and achieving progress in key areas that define our shared aspirations. His efforts and dedication deserve our almost gratitude.”

The EAC is home to an estimated 302.2 million citizens, of which over 30% is urban population.

With a land area of 5.4 million square kilometers and a combined Gross Domestic Product of US$ 312.9 billion, its realization bears great strategic and geopolitical significance and prospects for the renewed and reinvigorated EAC.

As one of the fastest growing regional economic blocs in the world, the EAC continues to widen and deepen cooperation among the Partner States in various key spheres for their mutual benefit. These spheres include political, economic and social.

“At the moment, the regional integration process is in full swing as reflected by the encouraging progress of the East African Customs Union, the establishment of the Common Market in 2010 and the implementation of the East African Monetary Union Protocol,’ says a report on the EAC website.

The EAC chairman said all leaders have a responsibility of making the region peaceful. President William Ruto has insisted that it is the collective responsibility of leaders from within the East African Community (EAC) to make sure the region is peaceful, adding that without peace, it will be difficult to do business.

"We all know that it is not possible to invest or to attract investment, it is not possible to do business unless there is peace, security and stability. And that is why it is and must be our collective effort to keep our region peaceful and to invest in the security and stability of our region."