East African Federation
East African Federation | |
|---|---|
| Motto: "One People, One Destiny" | |
| Anthem: "Wimbo wa Jumuiya Afrika Mashariki" | |
An orthographic projection of the world, highlighting the proposed East African Federation's territory (green). | |
| Proposed Capital | Arusha |
| Largest city | Kinshasa |
| Official languages | English, French, Swahili |
| Lingua franca | Swahili |
| Demonym(s) | East African |
| Type | Proposed federation |
| States | |
| Legislature | EALA |
| Establishment | |
| 7 July 2000 | |
| Area | |
• Total | 5,449,717 km2 (2,104,147 sq mi) (7th) |
• Water (%) | 3.83 |
| Population | |
• 2024 estimate | 343,328,958 (3rd) |
• Density | 63/km2 (163.2/sq mi) |
| GDP (PPP) | 2024 estimate |
• Total | $1.027 trillion (34th) |
• Per capita | $3,149 |
| GDP (nominal) | 2024 estimate |
• Total | $349.774 billion (42nd) |
• Per capita | $1,067 |
| HDI (2022) | 0.515 low |
| Currency | East African shilling |
| Time zone | UTC+2 / +3 (CAT / EAT) |
Website www | |
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The East African Federation (Swahili: Shirikisho la Afrika Mashariki) is a proposed federal sovereign state consisting of the eight member states of East African Community in the African Great Lakes region – Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda.
The idea of this federation has existed since the early 1960s but has not yet come to fruition for several reasons. Though the federation has not yet been established, many steps have been taken to advance this goal. Institutions and governing bodies already exist for the eventual union of these nations, with representatives from all of the related nations working together towards this common goal. A voluntary confederation will be formed as an intermediate step prior to the establishment of a full political federation.
In September 2018, a committee was formed to begin the process of drafting a regional constitution, and a draft constitution for the confederation was set to be written by the end of 2021 with its implementation by 2023. However, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted plans to draft and implement a constitution. On 9 May 2023, the drafting of the constitution resumed with a 20-day consultation with local stakeholders in Kenya.