EAC member countries: the 8 partner states and when they joined

Updated 12 November 2026

There are eight EAC member countries: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Somalia. The East African Community calls them partner states. Together they cover 5.4 million square kilometres and had about 331.1 million people in 2023, with a combined GDP of US$356 billion in 2024, according to the EAC’s own quick facts. This guide lists each member and when it joined, what the bloc’s institutions do and what membership means for Kenyan businesses.

Updated 12 November 2026. Facts come from the EAC Partner States page and the EAC’s Quick Facts, History and Institutions pages, checked on 12 November 2026.

The eight EAC member countries and when they joined

Somalia is the newest of the EAC member countries, having become a full member on 4 March 2024. Before it, the DRC joined in 2022 and South Sudan in 2016. Admission is governed by criteria in Article 3 of the EAC Treaty, the EAC says.

Key facts about the EAC member countries

• Land area: 5.4 million sq km, including water.
• Population: 331.1 million (2023).
• GDP: US$356 billion at current market prices (2024), or roughly KSh46 trillion at about KSh130 to the dollar.
• Headquarters: Arusha, Tanzania.
• Official languages: English, Kiswahili and French.
• Summit chairperson: President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda; Council chairperson: Rebecca Kadaga, as listed on the EAC quick facts page.

The bloc has a long history. The EAC’s history page traces cooperation back to a Kenya and Uganda customs union in 1917, which Tanganyika joined in 1927, followed by the East African High Commission (1948 to 1961), the East African Common Services Organisation (1961 to 1967) and the first East African Community (1967 to 1977), which collapsed in 1977. The three founding states revived cooperation in 1993, signed the current Treaty in Arusha on 30 November 1999, and the community came back into being when the Treaty entered into force on 7 July 2000.

How the EAC is run

The EAC lists seven organs: the Summit of heads of state, the Council of Ministers, the Co-ordinating Committee, the Sectoral Committees, the East African Court of Justice, the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) and the Secretariat, which is the executive arm based in Arusha. The Council of Ministers is the body that changes trade rules such as the common external tariff.

The community also has nine semi-autonomous institutions: CASSOA (aviation safety), the East African Competition Authority, the East African Development Bank, the East African Health Research Commission, the East African Kiswahili Commission, the East African Science and Technology Commission, the Inter-University Council for East Africa, the Lake Victoria Basin Commission and the Lake Victoria Fisheries Organization. For businesses, the Competition Authority matters most: under the EAC Competition Act, 2006, it polices anti-competitive practices and barriers to trade between EAC member countries.

The four pillars of integration

1. Customs union: free trade inside the bloc for goods that meet the rules of origin, and one tariff on imports from outside. See our guide to the EAC common external tariff.
2. Common market: the protocol signed on 20 November 2009 provides for free movement of goods, people, labour, services and capital.
3. Monetary union: the protocol signed on 30 November 2013 aims at a single currency; it is not yet in place.
4. Political federation: heads of state adopted a political confederation as a transitional model on 20 May 2017.

What EAC membership means for Kenyan traders

For a Kenyan exporter, the eight EAC member countries are one duty-free market of more than 330 million people, as long as the goods qualify as originating in the region. In practice that means:

• Proof of origin: get an EAC certificate of origin for each consignment; see how to get a certificate of origin in Kenya.
• Small traders: consignments under the threshold can use the simplified trade regime at border posts.
• Clearing: use a licensed customs agent for formal entries.
• Motor insurance: drivers taking a vehicle into other EAC member countries need cross-border motor cover; check which states the COMESA yellow card covers before you travel.

Uganda remains Kenya’s biggest market in the bloc; our breakdown of Kenya’s exports to Uganda shows what sells. Check the latest EAC Gazette notices before quoting a buyer in another partner state, because the Council of Ministers can change duty rates and grant country-specific stays.

Frequently asked questions

How many EAC member countries are there?

Eight: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Somalia.

Which is the newest member of the EAC?

Somalia. It acceded to the EAC Treaty on 15 December 2023 and became a full member on 4 March 2024. The EAC’s partner states page still describes the DRC, which joined in 2022, as the newest.

Which countries founded the East African Community?

Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. They signed the Treaty on 30 November 1999 and it entered into force on 7 July 2000.

Where is the EAC headquarters?

Arusha, Tanzania. Tanzania also hosts the temporary seats of the East African Legislative Assembly and the East African Court of Justice.

Is Ethiopia a member of the EAC?

No. Ethiopia is not among the eight partner states listed by the EAC.