By Fahim Muyingo
Young leaders from across the East African Community (EAC) recently gathered at Makerere University for the 3rd Annual East African Guild Leaders’ Summit, where they called for deeper regional integration and a future in which opportunities are not limited by national borders.
Held under the theme: “Youth Leadership, Production, and Regional Integration: Building a Competitive East Africa in a Changing Global Order,” the summit brought together university guild presidents, scholars, policymakers and development partners to explore how young people can drive the region’s transformation.
A recurring message throughout the discussions was the need to move beyond artificial borders and build a truly integrated East Africa where students, professionals, businesses and ideas can move freely.
Speakers, including Professor Idris A. Rai and Damian Massa, argued that the region’s competitiveness will depend largely on how effectively East African countries remove barriers to mobility and collaboration. Drawing lessons from international models such as the European Union’s student exchange programmes, participants proposed harmonising university curricula, simplifying credit transfer systems and expanding opportunities for cross-border learning.
The summit also emphasised the need to position young people as active architects of development rather than passive beneficiaries of government programmes.
Annet Pangunji of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) led discussions on strengthening youth participation in decision-making, promoting local production and creating meaningful opportunities for young people to contribute to national and regional development.
Delivering the keynote address, Professor Peter Anyang’ Nyong’o, the Governor of Kisumu County, Kenya, reminded delegates that leadership is measured by service, innovation and a commitment to advancing the common good.
Representing the Afro-Arab Youth Council (AAYC), a delegation led by the Manager for Liaison and Partnerships, Ms. Halima Nansubuga, joined the discussions and reaffirmed the Council’s commitment to supporting student leadership and advancing regional integration across Africa and the Arab world.
As the summit concluded, student leaders issued a joint appeal to governments and regional institutions to formally recognise and institutionalise the East African Guild Leaders’ Summit as a permanent, rotating platform for youth engagement.
They argued that institutionalising the summit would ensure student leaders across the EAC Partner States have a continuous and recognised platform to contribute to regional integration, policy dialogue and youth empowerment.
“This step would ensure that student leaders across partner states have a continuous, recognised voice in driving regional integration and youth empowerment,” Ms. Nansubuga said.
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