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The East African Community has launched a pilot project to link Rwanda and Tanzania’s national payment systems, a move officials say will pave the way for instant, low-cost money transfers across the region. The project connects Tanzania’s Instant Payment System (TIPS) with Rwanda’s National Payment Switch (RSwitch), allowing people and businesses to send and...

The East African Business Council (EABC) and the African Development Bank (AfDB) have together unveiled a major initiative aimed at accelerating sustainable and inclusive industrialization across the East African Community (EAC). The project, launched in Arusha Nov. 6–7, focuses on enhancing regional manufacturing competitiveness and boosting value-addition in three priority chains: edible oils, textiles and leather.

China has cemented its dominance as East Africa’s top trading partner, deepening economic interdependence with the bloc as overall trade hit record levels. The EAC Secretariat reports that “China remained the leading source of imports, contributing US$ 4.7 billion or 24.2% of the total,” and was also one of the largest destinations for...

ARUSHA, TANZANIA — The East African Community (EAC) is grappling with stubbornly high inflation even as trade figures soar, with food prices emerging as the sharpest pain point across the region. According to the EAC Secretariat’s Quarterly Statistics Bulletin (Q2 2025), the “annual average food inflation in the EAC region stood at 38.5% for the 2024/25 fiscal...

Burundi’s Gladiators opened their Women’s Basketball League Africa (WBLA) Zone 5 campaign on a positive note Sunday after being awarded a walkover victory against Uganda’s Magic Stormers, who were disqualified over a uniform infraction. The result puts the Burundian side in a favorable position early in the nine-team regional qualifier, which offers two automatic...

Burundi’s Prime Minister, Nestor Ntahontuye, has condemned the widespread mismanagement and misuse of state-owned properties following a recent inspection across several provinces, calling for swift government action to restore accountability in public asset management. During a field visit on November 3 to properties in Buhumuza Province which includes Cankuzo, Ruyigi and in Gitega, the...

Samia Suluhu Hassan was officially sworn in on Monday as President of the United Republic of Tanzania after a highly contested election that erupted in protests and accusations of irregularity. The oath-taking took place at a military parade ground in the capital, Dodoma, in a ceremony largely closed to the public and held amid tight security and...

Tanzania’s electoral commission on Saturday declared President Samia Suluhu Hassan the winner of the country’s presidential election, securing nearly 98 percent of the vote in a result that has ignited widespread protests and drawn sharp criticism from opposition groups and international observers. According to official results, Hassan, who leads the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi...

Global commodity prices are expected to fall to their lowest level in six years in 2026, a trend that could ease inflation in Africa but threaten export revenues for economies like Burundi, the World Bank said in its latest Commodity Markets Outlook. The Bank projects that prices will decline by 7% in both 2025 and...

Industrial and commercial establishments in Burundi could face fines of up to 500,000 Burundi francs (around US $150) for dumping wastewater and other pollutants into rivers, lakes, or wetlands, under a new sanitation ordinance enacted this month. The law prohibits factories, workshops, and business premises from releasing untreated waste or oil residues into natural...