Yoweri Museveni, President of Uganda, has succeeded William Ruto of Kenya as the rotating chair of the East African Community.

The announcement was made today, March 7, 2026, during the 25th Ordinary Summit of Heads of State of the East African Community, taking place at the Arusha International Conference Centre in Arusha.

The handover of the chairmanship represents the structured leadership rotation within the East African Community, which follows a scheduled rotation system among member states.

Handing over the chairmanship, President Ruto said President Museveni would take over after he completed his one-year term leading the community.

Following the announcement, President Museveni thanked President Ruto for steering the community over the past year and pledged to continue strengthening cooperation to promote political, economic, and social development within the bloc.

Additionally, Museveni expressed gratitude to the President of Tanzania, Samia Suluhu Hassan, for the warm reception he received during the summit held in Arusha.

Museveni assumes the bloc’s leadership at a time when the region faces mounting peace and security challenges among member states, alongside financial strains driven by unpaid dues and limited resources to sustain the Community’s programmes.

His one-year term will run from March 2026 to March 2027, during which he will be expected to steer the regional bloc through these political and financial pressures.

Meanwhile, Rwanda will take over from Somalia as rapporteur of the East African Community, a role that positions Kigali to likely assume the bloc’s rotating chairmanship in 2027.