The Future and Fate of the EAC Mining Bill

Abstract

The EAC Mining Bill represents a significant legislative initiative by the EAC to establish a unified regional mining legal framework and promote sustainable mining development. This paper examines the prospects and fate of the EAC Mining Bill, beginning with an analysis of its context: amid robust economic growth yet sluggish structural transformation, and a mismatch between mineral resource potential and contribution, the EAC urgently requires legal coordination to optimize mining governance and advance regional integration. Second, the paper elaborates on the EAC Mining Bill’s core objectives and provisions, including establishing principles of mineral resource ownership, standardizing mining concession processes, building transparency and accountability mechanisms, strengthening environmental protection and community rights, and integrating artisanal and small-scale mining into regulatory frameworks. Subsequently, the paper analyzes the EAC Mining Bill’s current stagnation since its first reading in 2017, dissecting underlying causes such as member states’ legal disparities, concerns over sovereignty transfer, and insufficient political consensus. Finally, the paper projects the potential impacts should the EAC Mining Bill be implemented, arguing it would yield profound positive effects on regional mining governance, investment environment improvement, and inclusive economic growth. It highlights that future efforts to advance the EAC Mining Bill’s enactment require breakthroughs in political dialogue, technical coordination, and leveraging international experience. Research indicates that the EAC Mining Bill represents the correct direction for regional resource governance, and its ultimate fate will profoundly influence the EAC’s integration process and the realization of sustainable development.