Name: 3RD ANNUAL EAST AFRICAN GUILD LEADERS' SUMMIT
Start: 2026-07-23T08:00:00.000+03:00
End: 2026-07-24T15:00:00.000+03:00
Location: Freedom Square

GPLA

The 3rd Annual East African Guild Leaders' Summit

Guild Presidents Leadership Academy (GPLA)

, is the premier regional platform for student leadership, democratic governance, and integration dialogue in East Africa. Bringing together over 

1,500 Guild Presidents, student leaders, policymakers, and heads of state

 from across the East African Community, this two-day Summit will be held at the historic 

 — the birthplace of African student activism.

"Youth Leadership, Production, and Regional Integration: Building a Competitive East Africa in a Changing Global Order"

, President of the Republic of Uganda and Chairperson of the East African Community, will deliver the keynote address on the future of East African integration and youth leadership.

The Guild Leaders' Summit has grown into a defining Pan-African youth leadership movement. Previous editions were graced by:

, former Prime Minister of Uganda, as Patron of GPLA, and 

 as a key member of its Advisory Board. The growing GPLA network spans Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, and Rwanda.

East Africa stands at a critical juncture — shaped by shifting global geopolitics, the urgent need for regional self-reliance, and the imperative of economic transformation. With over 

, the success of integration and production agendas depends on how effectively young leaders are mobilized, organized, and oriented toward innovation, enterprise, and regional thinking.

University Guild Presidents occupy a unique position as structured leaders with constituencies, legitimacy, and influence within institutions that shape future policymakers, entrepreneurs, and public servants. This Summit aligns youth leadership with the region's strategic priorities — integration, production, markets, and competitiveness.

To mobilize and equip East African student leaders to actively contribute to Regional Integration, Economic Transformation, and the strategic positioning of East Africa in a changing global order.

Day One — Markets, Innovation and Youth Opportunity

Day Two — Integration, Leadership, Oil and Gas and Strategic Direction

✦ The Future of East Africa will not be Inherited. It will be Built. And the Builders are here. ✦