EAC Steps Up Regional Action on Education as Nairobi Conference Calls for Stronger Cooperation

EAC Steps Up Regional Action on Education as Nairobi Conference Calls for Stronger Cooperation

By Stella Ranji 

NAIROBI, Kenya — August 27, 2026

 The East African Community (EAC) is stepping up regional efforts to harmonise education systems, improve learning outcomes and expand opportunities for learners and workers across Partner States, as more than 600 education leaders and stakeholders convene in Nairobi for the 2nd EAC Regional Education Conference.

The four-day conference is bringing together policymakers, researchers, education practitioners and other sector actors from the EAC's eight Partner States to address persistent learning gaps, unequal access to education, skills mismatches and mounting pressure on education systems.

Opening the conference, Kenya's Cabinet Secretary for the East African Community and Arid and Semi-Arid Lands, Hon. Beatrice Askul Moe, called for increased investment in teacher education, professional development and better working environments.

“As regional integration deepens, our systems must become more interoperable. A child moving between Partner States should not have their education interrupted because they crossed a border in an increasingly interconnected East African economy,” she said.

Hon. Askul said teachers should be viewed as key regional assets rather than employees of separate national systems.

“We should regard our teachers not simply as employees of national systems, but as a community of East African professionals,” she said.

She also called for closer alignment of education policies, curricula and qualifications to facilitate the movement of learners and skills across the region while ensuring that education systems respond to shared development priorities.

The Chairperson of the EAC Council of Ministers and Uganda's First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for East African Community Affairs, Rt. Hon. Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga, described the conference as an important platform for policy dialogue. She said it provides an opportunity for policymakers, researchers and practitioners to exchange evidence and build consensus around practical responses to shared education challenges.

Kadaga called for greater focus on foundational learning, arguing that strong basic education is essential for better learning outcomes, stronger institutions, relevant skills and expanded opportunities for young people.

She urged governments to strengthen the connection between evidence, policy and implementation so that education reforms translate into measurable improvements in learning.

The EAC Deputy Secretary General in charge of Productive and Social Sectors, Hon. Ariik Malueth, highlighted progress made in establishing regional frameworks to support closer cooperation in education.

“At basic education level, the EAC has developed strategies to support harmonisation and strengthen the foundations for lifelong learning and skills development,” Malueth said.

He noted that the EAC has also supported the revision of primary school curricula to incorporate skills and competencies needed in a changing world.

At the technical and vocational education and training (TVET) level, the EAC TVET Qualifications Framework has been developed and is awaiting approval. The framework is expected to strengthen recognition of qualifications and promote skills mobility across Partner States.

“At higher education level, the EAC is advancing the East African Common Higher Education and Research Area, with emphasis on harmonisation, innovation, partnerships and mobility of young people,” Malueth said.

He also highlighted ongoing work to improve the availability of comparable and reliable education statistics through regional guidelines and strengthened analytical capacity.

The Minister for Education, Science and Technology of Tanzania, Prof. Adolf Mkenda, underscored the importance of equipping learners with the knowledge, competencies and adaptability required in a rapidly changing world of work.

He said regional cooperation must be matched by sustained investment in teachers, quality education and skills development.

While EAC Partner States have expanded access to education and undertaken major reforms, significant challenges remain. Inequalities continue to affect children in rural and marginalised communities, learners with disabilities and other vulnerable groups. Learning quality remains uneven, while teacher shortages, limited resources and weak transitions between levels of education continue to constrain opportunities for many young people.

Dr. Mary Goretti, Executive Director of Uwezo Uganda and Board Chair of RELIAfrica, said the conference should help close the gap between education research and policymaking.

She called for stronger links between evidence, policy and implementation, saying regional reforms must move beyond frameworks and translate into tangible improvements in classrooms and communities.

The conference is also reviewing progress since the inaugural EAC Regional Education Conference held in Arusha in 2024, identifying implementation gaps and building agreement on actions requiring greater political, technical and financial commitment.

Participants are expected to use the Nairobi meeting to advance a common regional agenda centred on better learning outcomes, stronger institutions, relevant skills and greater mobility of learners and professionals.

The discussions come as East Africa's integration agenda increasingly depends on education systems capable of producing a mobile, skilled and adaptable workforce. For the EAC, harmonising qualifications, strengthening teachers and improving foundational learning are emerging as key pillars of a more integrated regional economy.

The conference runs for four days in Nairobi.