East African nations are brimming with ambitious economic projects, but the region faces the critical challenge of insulating these policies from political cycles to ensure long-term success.

• Ethiopia's Grand Renaissance Dam, a $5 billion project, aims to double its power supply and become a regional energy exporter.
• Kenya plans to borrow KSh 901 billion for the 2025/26 fiscal year, with 72% raised domestically, but faces challenges with debt servicing consuming over a quarter of tax revenues.
• Rwanda demonstrates consistent growth, with 7.8% in early 2025, highlighting the value of policy predictability and discipline.
• A key tension highlighted is between ambitious projects and the susceptibility of economic strategy to short-term political agendas rather than long-term planning.