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President Yoweri Museveni congratulated Veronica Mueni Nduva on her appointment as the new Secretary General of the East African Community during the 23rd Extraordinary Summit. Nduva, the first female to hold the position. She succeeds Dr. Peter Mutuku Mathuki, who was reassigned as Kenya’s Ambassador to Moscow.

President Yoweri Museveni has extended his congratulations to the newly appointed Secretary General of the East African Community.

“I had the pleasure of attending the 23rd Extraordinary Summit of the EAC Heads of State, which was held virtually and chaired by H.E. Salva Kiir Mayardit, the President of South Sudan. We have appointed Veronica Mueni Nduva as the Secretary General of the East African Community, effective from June 7, 2024, until April 25, 2026. I congratulate her,” Museveni announced on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Veronica Mueni Nduva, the new Secretary General of the East African Community (EAC), was sworn in on Friday 7^th June 2024 at State House in Juba, Republic of South Sudan.

The oath-taking ceremony occurred during the 23rd Extraordinary Meeting of the EAC Heads of State, which was held virtually and chaired by H.E. Salva Kiir Mayardit, Chairperson of the Summit and President of South Sudan.

In her inaugural address as Secretary General, Nduva emphasized her commitment to promoting deeper integration and development for the people of East Africa. She outlined her key priorities, which include strengthening economic integration to foster innovation, entrepreneurship, and job creation, as well as ensuring peace and security in the region.

“Your Excellencies, in promoting peace and security, a secure East Africa is the foundation upon which we can build lasting prosperity,” stated Nduva.

As the first female Secretary General of the EAC, Nduva highlighted her focus on advanced social development, particularly empowering women and youth, who are the backbone of the region’s society. She also emphasized the importance of infrastructure development, which will require innovative financing solutions and strengthened public-private partnerships (PPPs).

“To promote climate-resilient growth, we will continue to address the pressing challenges of climate change collectively as a region. This includes promoting green energy, sustainable agriculture, conservation efforts, and resource mobilization as a bloc,” she added.

Nduva further stressed the need for institutional strengthening to ensure effective implementation of policies and programs, and enhancing inter-organ and inter-institutional coordination as key to fulfilling the EAC’s mandate. She pledged fidelity to the Treaty and committed to fostering a culture of transparency, accountability, and inclusivity within the Community.

Nduva succeeds Hon. (Dr.) Peter Mutuku Mathuki, who was recalled by the Republic of Kenya in March 2024 and subsequently appointed as the country’s Ambassador to Moscow.

Prior to her appointment as Secretary General, Nduva served as the Principal Secretary in the State Department for Performance and Delivery Management in the Office of the Prime Cabinet Secretary and Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs. She is an alumnus of the University of Nairobi (UoN), with a distinguished career spanning 24 years in governance and the public sector, including roles in the Government of Kenya, EAC, US government, and civil society. She holds a BA in Political Science and Communication Studies from UoN and has extensive experience in Human Resource Management and budgetary appropriations.

In his remarks, President Salva Kiir Mayardit of South Sudan affirmed the EAC’s progress, noting that intra-regional trade currently stands at 15% and expressing optimism for its increase following the recent admission of the Federal Republic of Somalia into the Community.

Regarding the Monetary Union, President Kiir called for the expedited establishment of the East African Monetary Institute to guide the creation of a single currency. On the Political Federation, he announced that South Sudan would hold consultations on the EAC Political Confederation Constitution in July 2022 and urged other Partner States to expedite their consultations.

President Kiir emphasized that peace and security are fundamental to economic growth, political stability, and sustainable development in East Africa, and he called on all Partner States to pursue just and equitable resolutions to regional disputes and conflicts.