President William Ruto has been elected as the East African Community (EAC) Chairman. His election comes after heads of state of EAC member states voted in his favour.
Ruto will take over from South Sudan President Salva Kiir.
President Ruto was elected in the 24th EAC Heads of State Summit held in Arusha, Tanzania.
In his remarks, Kiir who was handing over to Ruto thanked the EAC membership for giving him the opportunity to serve them.
Ruto elected EAC Chairman in the 24th EAC Heads of State Summit
“I express my deepest appreciation to the EAC for according me this opportunity. It has been a profound honor to serve this great community,” Kiir said.
On his part, Ruto thanked the South Sudan President for his service to the EAC.
“I would like to thank the outgoing chairman for steering the community for one year,” President Ruto said.
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Ruto also highlighted that EAC achieved much integration within member states under Kiir’s leadership.
Ruto expressed his gratitude towards member states for entrusting him with the responsibility of Chairing the EAC Sumit for the next one year.
Ruto pledges to advance EAC vision and mission
“This is both honor and a profound duty that I undertake with humility, commitment and determination and I pledge to work diligently alongside each and every member to advance the vision and mission of our community,” the head of State pledged.
The President promised to enhance the lives of EAC members by focusing on increasing competitiveness, promoting value-added production, boosting inter-regional trade, and driving investment into the region’s economies.
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Ruto’s new role comes with important responsibilities, including coordinating the East African Community (EAC) Summit of Heads of State by setting meeting agendas and facilitating discussions.
His additional responsibilities include representing the EAC in international forums to promote its interests and foster global relationships, as well as overseeing the implementation of Summit decisions to ensure effective execution of policies.
Roles of EAC Chairman
Another significant aspect of his role is mediating disputes among member states to maintain regional peace and stability.
The Chairman of the EAC is elected through a rotational system among the Heads of State of the member countries. Each member state takes turns holding the chairmanship for a one-year term.
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This system ensures that all member states have an equal opportunity to lead the organization and contribute to its strategic direction.
The election process typically involves the Heads of State from the member countries coming together to formally appoint the new Chairman. This appointment is usually announced during an EAC summit.
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