Regional bloc · East Africa
The East African Community
An intergovernmental organisation of eight partner states — Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, DR Congo and Somalia — bound by the 1999 Treaty and working toward a Customs Union, Common Market, Monetary Union and eventual political federation.
Partner states
Eight countries, one Community
Four pillars
Integration architecture
In force since 2005 (fully since 2010). Common external tariff, duty-free intra-EAC trade, single customs territory for goods clearance.
Protocol in force 2010. Free movement of goods, persons, labour, services, capital, plus rights of establishment and residence for EAC citizens.
Protocol signed 2013. Roadmap to a single EAC currency, with harmonised monetary and fiscal policy and an East African Monetary Institute preparing the ground.
Long-term goal in Article 5(2) of the Treaty — progressive move toward a political federation of the partner states.
Organs of the Community
How the EAC is governed
Heads of State of the partner states. Gives general direction and impetus to EAC development.
Policy organ — issues regulations, directives and decisions binding on partner states and organs.
Permanent Secretaries — coordinates activities of Sectoral Committees and reports to the Council.
Judicial organ — interprets and applies the Treaty. First Instance Division and Appellate Division.
Legislative organ — enacts EAC Acts, oversight of Community affairs, 9 elected members per partner state plus ex-officio.
Executive organ — day-to-day management, headed by the Secretary-General. Custodian of the Treaty.
East African Court of Justice
Citizens can file directly
Under Article 30 of the Treaty, any resident of a partner state may challenge the legality of an act, regulation, directive, decision or action of a partner state or Community organ on grounds of infringing the Treaty.
Partner states, the Secretary-General, and — critically — any natural or legal person resident in a partner state may bring a reference under Article 30 of the Treaty challenging the legality of any act, regulation, directive, decision or action of a partner state or Community organ on grounds of infringing the Treaty.
A reference under Article 30 must be filed within two (2) months of the challenged act, regulation, directive, decision or action, or the day on which it came to the knowledge of the applicant.
Interpretation and application of the Treaty; disputes between partner states; disputes between the Community and its employees; advisory opinions at the request of the Summit, Council or a partner state; and any other jurisdiction conferred by protocol.
First Instance Division hears matters at first instance. The Appellate Division hears appeals on points of law, grounds of jurisdiction, or procedural irregularity within 30 days of the First Instance judgment.
English is the official language. Seat is Arusha, Tanzania, but the Court may sit anywhere in the Community.
East African Legislative Assembly
The Community's Parliament
Nine (9) elected members from each partner state plus ex-officio members: the Minister responsible for EAC affairs from each partner state, the Secretary-General and the Counsel to the Community.
Legislative arm of the Community — debates and approves the EAC Budget, enacts Community legislation ("Acts of the Community"), and exercises oversight over EAC organs and institutions.
Introduced in EALA, three readings, committee stage, passed by the Assembly, then assented to by the Heads of State. Once assented, the Act binds all partner states.
EALA committees hold public hearings across the Community; citizens and civil society may submit memoranda on Bills and on oversight matters.
Treaty & protocols
Primary instruments
The EAC has no single "Constitution" — the founding constitutional instrument is the 1999 Treaty, supplemented by protocols on each pillar and by Acts of the Community passed by EALA.
Founding instrument. 153 Articles across 29 Chapters. Signed 30 Nov 1999, entered into force 7 July 2000.
Signed 2004. Basis of the Common External Tariff and EAC Customs Management Act.
Signed 20 Nov 2009, in force 1 July 2010. Four freedoms plus rights of establishment & residence.
Signed 30 Nov 2013. Convergence criteria and single-currency roadmap.
The operational customs statute across the Community.
Filing, service, references, appeals and advisory opinions.
Primary sources · PDF library
Download the Treaty, Court rules & protocols
Direct links to the official PDFs published by the EAC Secretariat and the East African Court of Justice, each with a short summary so you know what you are opening before you download. Where the Secretariat hosts a document only from its document library, we link to the library page that lists the current PDF.
Founding constitutional instrument. 153 Articles across 29 Chapters. Establishes the Community, its objectives, fundamental and operational principles, membership, organs and institutions, the four pillars of integration, dispute settlement, and financial provisions. Signed 30 Nov 1999; entered into force 7 July 2000.
Establishes the Common External Tariff, elimination of internal tariffs and non-tariff barriers, rules of origin, anti-dumping and safeguard measures, and the framework for the Single Customs Territory. Operationalised through the EAC Customs Management Act.
Guarantees the four freedoms — goods, persons, labour, services and capital — plus the rights of establishment and residence for EAC citizens. Signed 20 Nov 2009; in force 1 July 2010. Includes annexes on free movement of workers, mutual recognition of qualifications, and cross-border services.
Roadmap to a single EAC currency. Sets macroeconomic convergence criteria (inflation, fiscal deficit, debt, reserves), harmonisation of monetary and exchange rate policies, and establishes the East African Monetary Institute as the preparatory body for the future East African Central Bank.
The operational customs statute across the Community. Governs importation and exportation procedures, warehousing, transit, valuation, duties, offences and penalties, and appeals to the Tax Appeals Tribunal.
Procedural code of the East African Court of Justice: filing of references and applications, service, representation, interlocutory applications, hearings, judgments, appeals from the First Instance Division to the Appellate Division, advisory opinions, costs and enforcement.
Framework for arbitration under Article 32 of the Treaty, where a contract or agreement confers arbitral jurisdiction on the Court. Covers commencement, tribunal composition, seat, awards and challenge procedures.
Standing Orders governing the conduct of EALA business: sittings, quorum, motions, Bills and their three readings, committees, questions, petitions from citizens, privileges and discipline of Members.
Every Act passed by EALA and assented to by the Heads of State — including the EAC Customs Management Act, the EAC One Stop Border Posts Act, the EAC Elimination of Non-Tariff Barriers Act, and the EAC Cross-Border Legal Practice Act.
Long-term integration blueprint (Vision 2050) and the medium-term implementation plan (5th EAC Development Strategy). Sets targets for infrastructure, industrialisation, human capital, and deepening of the four pillars.
Links resolve to the current version hosted by the EAC Secretariat (eac.int), the East African Court of Justice (eacj.org) or EALA (eala.org). Where a document has been amended, always check the portal for the latest consolidated text before relying on it.
Citizen self-help
Using your EAC rights
The Common Market Protocol lets EAC citizens live, work, study and set up business in any partner state. Use the EAC e-Passport and the East African Tourist Visa where applicable.
If a law, regulation or state action in your country breaches the Treaty, you have two months to file a reference at the East African Court of Justice in Arusha.
Submit memoranda on Bills, participate in public hearings, and lobby your national EALA representatives on legislation and oversight.
Educational self-help resource. Using it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Verify every provision against the official EAC portal at eac.int.