Uhuru Explains Visiting Ruto At State House
The summit was also attended by key stakeholders in the DRC peace process and other high-ranking dignitaries.
Viral Tea Ke Writer 
Former President Uhuru Kenyatta has revealed details of his visit to State House, Nairobi on Friday, August 1, 2025, meeting President William Ruto in a rare occurrence.
In a statement released by his office, Uhuru revealed that he attended the joint summit of the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
The high-level meeting was co-chaired by African Union Commission Chairperson Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, President Ruto—who currently chairs the EAC—and President Emmerson Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe, the sitting chair of SADC.
President William Ruto at State House, Nairobi on August 1, 2025 during a joint summit of the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC). /OFFICE OF THE 4TH PRESIDENT
The summit aimed to brief the EAC-SADC joint panel of facilitators on their collective mandate and the expectations of the two regional blocs, following consultations by Heads of State and Government.
"The panel was appointed following an agreement between the Heads of State and Governments of the EAC and SADC that recognised the need for a unified and revitalised approach aligned with the AU’s mandate to promote peace, security, and stability on the continent," the statement read in part.
This move effectively merges the Nairobi and Luanda processes into a single, coordinated peace framework for the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The five-member panel includes former Presidents Uhuru Kenyatta (Kenya), Catherine Samba-Panza (Central African Republic), Sahle-Work Zewde (Ethiopia), Mokgweetsi Masisi (Botswana), and Olusegun Obasanjo (Nigeria), who joined the session virtually.
The panel is tasked with offering high-level political guidance anchored on a joint EAC-SADC roadmap that seeks to enable inclusive dialogue, foster trust, and pave the way for sustainable peace in eastern DRC.
The summit was also attended by key stakeholders in the DRC peace process and other high-ranking dignitaries.
Uhuru participated in the discussions in his official role as facilitator of the EAC-led Nairobi Process on peace and security in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
His appointment, alongside four other former African heads of state, came in March following a joint summit of the EAC and SADC, which tasked them with spearheading peace negotiations in the DRC.
Uhuru was earlier appointed in February as a facilitator of the joint EAC-SADC peace initiative in eastern DRC.
He was named to the role alongside former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo and former Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn.
