Kenyatta’s selection was done during a virtual summit that was held on Saturday, with Burundi’s Evariste Ndayishimiye being chosen as the community rapporteur.

At the same time, Kenya’s Peter Mutuku Mathuki was selected as the next East African Community Secretary-General after receiving an endorsement from heads of State at the virtual summit.

Dr Mathuki is set to take over from Burundi’s Liberat Mfumukeko, whose five-year term has expired.

Mathuki, a long-term Executive Director of the East African Business Council, emerged as the top candidate after corporate bodies proposed his name to President Uhuru Kenyatta as someone capable of converging different views from member States.

The Virtual summit also witnessed the swearing-in of judges of the East African Court of Justice, an act that will enable the regional court to start handling pending cases.

The summit was attended by Kenyatta, Ndayishimiye, Yoweri Museveni (Uganda), Salva Kiir (South Sudan), with Tanzania being represented by Vice President Samia Suluhu.