During the 25th EAC MSMEs Trade Fair, Rwanda advocated for a regional strategy to boost culture-driven entrepreneurship and market access for small businesses. The "Day of Rwanda" event combined cultural showcases with calls for deeper regional integration and support for MSMEs as economic drivers.

• Rwanda's High Commissioner to Kenya, Ernest Rwamucyo, urged stronger cross-border partnerships and harmonized trade policies.
• Kenya's Permanent Secretary for MSMEs Development, Susan Mang’eni, highlighted the "massive untapped potential" of East Africa’s creative and cultural sectors, proposing that the fair's outcomes be presented at the upcoming EAC Heads of State Summit in Nairobi.
• The event showcased Rwanda's cultural vibrancy and its focus on culture as a pillar of economic diplomacy, with a strong presence of women-led, youth-driven, and community-based enterprises.

The Horn of Africa is bracing for an intensified drought as new forecasts predict continued below-normal rainfall through January 2026, threatening millions across southeastern Ethiopia, eastern Kenya, and southern Somalia.

• The IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre (ICPAC) issued a Climate Watch Advisory warning of deepening soil moisture shortages and vegetation stress.
• The worsening situation is attributed to the ongoing La Niña phenomenon and the negative Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD), mirroring drought patterns from 2010 and 2022.
• The ICPAC urged governments and humanitarian organizations to intensify preparedness for potential agricultural stress, deteriorating livestock conditions, and heightened health risks.

The East African Community (EAC) launched the preview edition of the Lake Victoria State of the Basin Report 2025 at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30) in BELÉM, Brazil. This report, prepared by the Lake Victoria Basin Commission (LVBC) with support from GIZ, provides a crucial assessment of the environmental, socio-economic, and governance conditions of the Lake Victoria Basin.

• The report highlights significant environmental pressures, including declining water quality, biodiversity losses, and the intensifying impact of climate change on the basin, which supports over 45 million people.
• Andrea Ariik, EAC Deputy Secretary General for Infrastructure, Productive, Social and Political Sectors, emphasized that Lake Victoria is "the beating heart of East Africa" but is under "serious threat," urging decisive action and investment.
• A key feature is the Water Information System (WIS), funded with EUR 60 million by Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) through KfW, designed for monitoring and evidence-based decision-making.