How a country is admitted to the East African Community

The membership of the East African Community is provided by Article 3 of the Treaty for the Establishment of the Community.

Article 3(2) allows the partner states to grant membership to the community, while Article 3(3) stipulates the matters to be taken into account by the partner states in considering an application by a foreign country to become a member of the community.

Step 1

A formal application by the foreign country to become a member of the EAC is submitted to the community.

Usually, the application is submitted by the Head of State of the foreign country to the summit of the EAC heads of state.

Step 2

The summit of the EAC heads of state considers the application by the foreign country to join the community and directs the EAC council of ministers to undertake a verification mission per the EAC procedure for the admission of new members.

Step 3

The EAC forms a team to undertake the verification mission to the foreign country to establish the country’s level of conformity with the requirements of Article 3(3) and (4) of the treaty.

Step 4

The council of ministers considers the verification report and tables a report to the summit of the EAC heads of state for consideration and guidance.

Step 5

The summit of the EAC heads of state directs the council of ministers to commence and conclude negotiations with the foreign country for admission into the community.

Step 6

Following the negotiations between the EAC and the foreign country, the council tables a final report to the summit of the EAC heads of state to make a decision.

Step 7

If the foreign country has met the set criteria for admission, the summit of the EAC heads of state admits the new member.

Step 8

The new member signs the Treaty of Accession to the Treaty for the Establishment of the East African Community.

The new member then undertakes the internal processes per the national laws to complete the national requirements for the ratification of the treaty of accession e.g. seeking the approval of cabinet or their national parliament.

Step 9

After fulfilling national requirements, the newly admitted partner state deposits the instruments of ratification of the treaty of accession with the Secretary-General and is now pronounced as a full member.

Step 10

The secretary-general informs the partner states in writing that the new member has deposited the instruments of ratification of the treaty of accession and is a full member of the community, article 153(1).

Step 11

The secretary-general deposits the treaty of accession with the African Union and the United Nations expressing the new members' commitment to be bound by the treaty, article 153(2).

EAC has in the last two years admitted two members, expanding to an eight-partner states bloc.