Leaders of the East African Community have appointed Tanzanian diplomat Stephen Patrick Mbundi as the bloc’s new Secretary General, bypassing South Sudan despite expectations that the position would rotate to Juba.
The appointment was announced Saturday during the 25th Ordinary Summit of EAC Heads of State held in Arusha, Tanzania. Mbundi will serve a five-year term from 2026 to 2031.
The summit brought together leaders from the bloc’s eight partner states: Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Somalia, South Sudan and host nation Tanzania.
In a brief message on X, the EAC Secretariat congratulated Mbundi, describing him as a seasoned diplomat with extensive experience in regional integration. He previously served as Permanent Secretary in charge of East African Community Affairs in Tanzania’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation.
Mbundi replaces Veronica Nduva, who has served as Secretary General since June 2024.
The Secretary General is the chief executive officer of the EAC Secretariat based in Arusha and is responsible for coordinating regional programmes and implementing decisions taken by the Summit and the Council of Ministers.
The decision has drawn attention because the position traditionally rotates among partner states to ensure equitable representation. Analysts had widely expected the role to go to South Sudan, which joined the EAC in 2016.
However, some regional observers argued ahead of the summit that Juba faced challenges securing the post due to governance concerns and compliance issues with regional obligations, including delayed payment of membership contributions.
Mbundi’s tenure comes as the EAC pursues deeper economic integration and expands its membership, following the admission of Somalia and the earlier entry of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. URN