East African Community
| Motto: "Ushirikiano wa Afrika Mashariki" | |
| Anthem: "Wimbo wa Jumuiya Afrika Mashariki" | |
An orthographic map projection of the world, highlighting the East African Community's member states (green) | |
| Headquarters | Arusha, Tanzania 3°22′S 36°41′E / 3.367°S 36.683°E |
| Largest city | Kinshasa, DR Congo |
| Official languages | English |
| Lingua franca | Swahili, French |
| Demonym(s) | East African |
| Type | Intergovernmental |
| Partner states | |
| Leaders | |
• Summit Chairperson | William Ruto |
• Council Chairperson | Beatrice Asukul Moe |
• EACJ President | Nestor Kayobera |
• EALA Speaker | Joseph Ntakarutimana |
| Veronica Nduva | |
| Legislature | Legislative Assembly |
| Establishment | |
• First established | 1967 |
• Dissolved | 1977 |
• Re-established | 7 July 2000 |
| Area | |
• Total | 5,449,717 km2 (2,104,147 sq mi) |
• Water (%) | 3.83 |
| Population | |
• 2024 estimate | 343,328,958 |
• Density | 63/km2 (163.2/sq mi) |
| GDP (PPP) | 2024 estimate |
• Total | Int$1,027.067 billion |
• Per capita | Int$2,991 |
| GDP (nominal) | 2024 estimate |
• Total | US$349.774 billion |
• Per capita | US$1,019 |
| HDI (2022) | 0.515 low |
Website www | |
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The East African Community (EAC) is an intergovernmental organisation in East Africa. The EAC's membership consists of eight states: Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Federal Republic of Somalia, the Republics of Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Uganda, and Tanzania. William Ruto, the president of Kenya, is the current EAC chairman. The organisation was founded in 1967, collapsed in 1977, and was revived on 7 July 2000. The main objective of the EAC is to foster regional economic integration.
In 2008, after negotiations with the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), the EAC agreed to an expanded free trade area including the member states of all three organisations. The EAC is an integral part of the African Economic Community.
The EAC is a potential precursor to the establishment of the East African Federation, a proposed federation of its members into a single sovereign state. In 2010, the EAC launched its own common market for goods, labour, and capital within the region, with the goal of creating a common currency and eventually a full political federation with its capital at Arusha, Tanzania. In 2013, a protocol was signed outlining their plans for launching a monetary union within 10 years. In September 2018, a committee was formed to begin the process of drafting a regional constitution.