As public consultations on the proposed East African Community (EAC) Political Confederation continue in Rwanda, constitutional experts say the process is intended to clarify the nature and structure of the model before any draft constitution is developed.
The proposal, endorsed by EAC Heads of State in 2017 as a transitional step toward a political federation, is being shaped through consultations across member states to gather public views and build a workable governance framework for the region.
Consultations have already been completed in Burundi, Uganda, and Kenya.
In Rwanda, the exercise began on June 15 and will include stakeholder engagements in Rubavu, Huye, and Nyagatare before concluding on June 27.
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According to Uganda's retired Chief Justice Benjamin Odoki, who chairs the team of constitutional experts developing the framework, the proposed confederation is not the final stage of regional integration.
"This is a possible transition to the ultimate goal of establishing a fully fledged political federation of East Africa—one government, one people, one country,” he said.
A confederation is a union of sovereign states that retain substantial autonomy, while a federation vests greater authority in a central government.
A model still taking shape
Odoki said the experts' immediate task is not to draft a constitution but to agree on the most suitable confederation model.
He noted that the process has been deliberately structured in phases to secure consensus on the governance framework before moving to legal drafting.
"In other constitutional processes, proposals are often accompanied by a draft constitution. But in this case, we must first agree on the model before drafting the constitution, so that we do not waste time developing something that may not be adopted,” he said.
The team has also been tasked with studying both successful and unsuccessful confederation models from other regions to inform the East African approach.
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What it could mean for partner states
Under the proposed arrangement, national governments would remain the primary authority on domestic matters, while the confederation would coordinate agreed regional priorities.
"We must decide which areas of cooperation fall under the confederation, which powers remain with sovereign states, and which are transferred to the centre,” Odoki said.
He added that the team must also determine how decisions will be made, how national governments will relate to the confederation authority, and what governance structures would be established.
"We must determine whether there will be a president, a chairperson, or a cabinet, and how the institutions will function,” he said.
Financing mechanisms and constitutional adoption procedures, including possible referenda or parliamentary approvals, are also under consideration.
A step toward federation
Odoki stressed that the proposed confederation would not create a new state or require Partner States to surrender their sovereignty.
However, he noted that a key question remains whether member states are ready for the process.
Prof. Murindwa Rutaanga, a member of the drafting team, said citizens consulted so far have expressed strong support for deeper and faster political integration.
"When we went to the field, people told us what they expected us to do, and they wanted it done quickly. What they wanted was an immediate confederation, wherever we went,” he said.
Rutaanga added that residents in some border communities even called for the bloc's expansion.
"When we reached border areas like Kabale in Uganda, they were saying, ‘Admit DR Congo.’ Then they said, ‘Admit Somalia,’ and so on. We did not encounter resistance to the project. Instead, people were saying, ‘Do it quickly; you are late,’” he said.
He said the feedback reflects widespread optimism about the potential benefits of deeper regional integration.