Civil Registration & Data Systems: Zimbabwe has taken the chairmanship of the Bureau of African Registrars General, pledging to push Civil Registration and Vital Statistics work across Africa from Victoria Falls. Disaster Preparedness for Media: In Burundi, the East African Kiswahili Commission (Kakama) and UNESCO launched a disaster preparedness and response framework for media institutions, aiming to improve accurate reporting and community resilience. Regional AI Policy: COMESA kicked off consultations with 21 member states to shape a harmonized regional AI strategy, regulatory framework, and digital inclusion action plan. Digital Trust in EAC Commerce: The EAC is moving to make cross-border online shopping safer and more reliable by addressing legal and regulatory gaps for e-commerce. Agritech Value Addition: Tanzania’s researchers are commercializing a mechanised system to turn cooking bananas into market-ready juice, targeting better hygiene, quality, and new jobs. Infrastructure Accountability: Uganda’s DRDIP project faced major scrutiny after an Auditor General report flagged unfinished roads, idle medical equipment, questionable payments, and funds left in accounts. Cross-border Finance Watch: A Kenyan court upheld a freeze of about $274,000 linked to a Burundian engineering firm in a money-laundering forfeiture dispute. Energy & Industry: Kenya’s government says it has agreed with Dangote to proceed with a Lamu mega-refinery to serve multiple East and Central African markets. Tech & Governance Context: A study argues East African federation plans keep stalling due to political mistrust and authoritarian pressures, not just technical hurdles.