Berlin, Germany – Dr. Tendo Ronex Kisembo, Group CEO of the Afrika Mashariki Fest, this morning paid a courtesy call on H.E. Stephen Mubiru, Uganda's Ambassador to Germany, at the Ugandan Embassy in Berlin. The meeting, marked by a warm reception and pleasantries, focused on regional integration and the potential lessons East Africa can draw from the European Union's development .
Dr. Kisembo, a prominent Pan-African advocate and recently elected Secretary General of the African Union Kiswahili Commission, emphasized the value of comparative analysis between the two regional blocs . He noted that while the East African Community (EAC) was first established in 1967, the European Union as it exists today was formed in 1993, presenting a valuable opportunity for the EAC to learn from the EU's institutional evolution .
Discussions touched upon key areas where the EAC—serving over 300 million citizens across eight member states including Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania—could benchmark against the EU's structures. Dr. Kisembo specifically pointed to comparing the EAC with the EU Commission and the East African Legislative Assembly with the European Parliament . The EU is currently the EAC's fourth-largest trading partner, with total trade amounting to €8.1 billion in 2025, a relationship that offers significant insights for regional economic integration .
Ambassador Mubiru, who has been actively championing Uganda's cultural and economic diplomacy in Germany, including a recent Uganda Cultural and Tourism Festival in Munich, hosted Dr. Kisembo in a meeting that explored avenues for deeper collaboration . The engagement reflects ongoing efforts to strengthen Uganda-Germany bilateral relations, with Germany remaining a key development partner supporting programs in renewable energy, vocational training, and governance .
