Nairobi, Kenya, 28 July 2026 (ECA) - The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), through its African Trade Policy Centre (ATPC), convened a four-day Capacity-Building Workshop for the East African Legislative Assembly Standing Committee on Communication, Trade and Investment on the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Agreement. The workshop is taking place from 28 to 31 July 2026 at the Trademark Hotel in Nairobi, Kenya.
The workshop aims to strengthen Committee members’ understanding of the objectives of the AfCFTA Agreement, its Protocols, institutional architecture and operational instruments, and to deepen their appreciation of the relationship between the AfCFTA and Regional Economic Communities (RECs), particularly the East African Community (EAC). It is designed to enhance the Committee’s capacity to provide informed legislative and oversight support for the domestication and effective implementation of the Agreement in the EAC region.
As the implementation of the AfCFTA Agreement advances, the interface between continental integration efforts and existing regional integration frameworks has become increasingly important. The Agreement recognizes RECs as building blocks for the continental integration project spearheaded by the AfCFTA. The EAC, one of the eight African Union-recognized RECs, is among the most advanced in terms of economic integration, with a functioning Customs Union and Common Market. EAC Partner States, namely Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda are all signatories to the AfCFTA Agreement. All except South Sudan have also ratified the Agreement.
Realizing the full potential of the Agreement requires translation of its commitments into laws, policies, regulations, institutions and practices at national and regional levels. “Domestication and effective implementation are therefore critical to ensuring the Agreement delivers meaningful benefits for African citizens, including smallholder farmers seeking new market opportunities and women traders engaged in cross-border trade”, said Dr. Richard Amenyah, UN Resident Coordinator ad interim and UNAIDS Country Representative for Kenya during the opening session of the workshop.
Through their lawmaking, oversight, advocacy and representational functions, legislators occupy a central place in ensuring that AfCFTA implementation brings tangible development benefits for citizens, including women, youth, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and informal cross-border traders. To fulfil this role effectively, parliamentarians must have a clear understanding of the AfCFTA Agreement and its Protocols, and the requisite capacity to translate its aspirations and commitments into policy frameworks that are conducive for country-level implementation.
The workshop will also support peer learning, experience sharing and the identification of priority follow-up actions to inform the future work of the Committee. The workshop “will enable us to ensure that the benefits of continental integration reach businesses, women, youth, small and medium-sized enterprises, and informal cross-border traders who are the backbone of our regional economies”, shared Honourable Francine Rutazana, Chairperson of the Committee on Communication, Trade and Investment, EALA.
By strengthening the capacity of regional legislators to play a more effective role in advancing the AfCFTA agenda, ECA aims to support a more coordinated, inclusive and sustainable implementation of the Agreement, while advancing Africa’s broader vision for an inclusive and prosperous continent where no one is left behind.
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