Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Burundi
Friday, January 23, 2026, marked the second day of the National Consultative Meeting on the Development of the East African Community (EAC) Strategy on Artificial Intelligence (AI), held from January 22 to 23, 2026, at the Roca Golf Hotel in Bujumbura. Prior to these meeting, participants were briefed on the process of developing strategies, policies, and frameworks, from national consultations to their approval by the Council of Ministers.
On the 2nd day, based on group work, after various presentations, the participants congratulated the East African Community (EAC) and the East African Science and Technology Commission (EASTECO) for organizing this consultation and reaffirmed their commitment to supporting the development and implementation of the East African Community (EAC) regional strategy on Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Participants encouraged a clearer alignment between national initiatives and the regional agenda to avoid fragmentation. Among the recommendations made were the establishment of a clear mechanism for regional governance and coordination of Artificial Intelligence, as well as regulatory harmonization while respecting national contexts.
In his closing remarks, Professor Tatien Masharabu thanked all participants for their active participation and valuable contributions. He reiterated that, through the consultant, the East African Science and Technology Commission (EASTECO) is committed to integrating all agreed contributions from consultations with EAC partner states and to proceeding with the next steps, including a regional validation workshop.
The Permanent Secretary in charge of East African Community Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and Development Cooperation, Mr. Severin Mbarubukeye, expressed his gratitude to each participant for their valuable contributions and insightful reflections during this two-day workshop. The various presentations were enlightening and will undoubtedly shape the future of Artificial Intelligence in the EAC region. He expressed his hope that the contributions gathered would be combined with those of other EAC partner states and taken into account by the consultant when finalizing the East African Community (EAC) Artificial Intelligence strategy.
He expressed his hope that the East African Science and Technology Commission (EASTECO) and the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) would continue to collaborate with all stakeholders throughout this process, recognizing that each has a role to play in implementing the AI strategy. He called for working together to make the East African Community (EAC) a leader in Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Permanent Secretary Séverin Mbarubukeye announced that the Government of the Republic of Burundi reaffirms its commitment to working for the success and implementation of EASTECO projects and programs for the benefit of all citizens of the East African Community (EAC).