Umoja wa Amani Kwanza Convention: Kadaga Urges EAC Integration

KAMPALA, Uganda - Leaders and delegates from across East Africa gathered in Kampala for the Umoja wa Amani Kwanza Convention, a regional forum dedicated to strengthening unity, promoting peace and advancing the vision of deeper East African integration.

The convention drew representatives from Zanzibar, Tanzania, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan, creating a platform for dialogue, cooperation and a shared commitment to building a more connected East African region.

The President of Umoja wa Amani Kwanza Uganda attended alongside senior executives and regional coordinators, underscoring the organisation's growing role in promoting regional awareness and collaboration.

Kadaga urges action beyond political declarations

Presiding over the convention, Uganda's First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of East African Affairs, Rt. Hon. Rebecca Kadaga, stressed the importance of raising public awareness about the East African Community (EAC) and ensuring the effective implementation of the EAC Treaty.

She called on governments, institutions and citizens across the region to take collective responsibility for advancing the integration agenda, noting that unity requires practical action beyond political declarations.

A key focus of her address was regional infrastructure, particularly the expansion and modernisation of railway networks across East Africa. Improved rail connectivity, she explained, would play a critical role in reducing transport costs, facilitating trade, easing the movement of people and strengthening economic links between member states.

Kyotera-Mutukula road and the cost of trade barriers

Kadaga also addressed road infrastructure challenges, highlighting the ongoing renovation of the Kyotera-Mutukula road, an important trade corridor linking Uganda and Tanzania through the Mutukula border.

Improving the route, she noted, would significantly enhance cross-border trade, ease the movement of goods and people, and contribute to the wider objectives of regional integration.

The convention also examined obstacles to intra-regional trade. Kadaga raised concerns about restrictions faced by Ugandan traders in some markets, particularly where Ugandan products are subjected to additional charges despite the principles of the East African Community.

She called for closer alignment of trade policies among member states to ensure fair treatment of goods and strengthen the free movement of products within the regional bloc.

Single currency and a renewed commitment to integration

The discussions also touched on the long-standing ambition of a single East African currency. Kadaga clarified that the process remains the responsibility of regional central banks and requires careful technical preparation, policy coordination and economic alignment among member states.

Participants further explored ways to simplify border procedures and build more efficient systems for moving goods and people across East Africa. Such measures, they noted, would expand economic opportunities, encourage cooperation and strengthen relationships among neighbouring countries.

The convention concluded with a renewed commitment from participants to advancing peace, unity and regional cooperation. The discussions underlined that East Africa's integration journey will depend not only on shared aspirations but also on practical investment in infrastructure, trade facilitation and policies that bring citizens and economies closer together.

Kadaga's emphasis on railway development, improved roads such as the Kyotera-Mutukula corridor and the removal of trade barriers carried a broader message from the convention: a more connected and prosperous East Africa can only be achieved through collective action and a shared vision.