The cyclists line up with EAC officials before they were flagged off in Arusha/HANDOUT
Forty cyclists from five East African Community (EAC) Partner States and Zimbabwe have embarked on a 55-day journey covering more than 6,000 kilometres across five countries.
The Great Africa Cycling Safari – East African Community Tour 2026 was officially flagged off in Arusha, Tanzania, by EAC Secretary General Stephen Mbundi.
The tour aims to promote regional unity, citizen participation and awareness of the EAC integration agenda through sport and cross-border engagement.
They have since passed through Uganda and Kenya into Tanzania and will continue to Burundi and Rwanda.
The tour is being held under the theme, “Promoting the Deepening Integration for Improved Livelihoods for the People of East Africa.”
Mbundi said, “The Great Africa Cycling Safari gives practical expression to our vision of a people-centred Community. It uses sport to connect our people, promote interaction across borders and strengthen the sense of belonging to one East African Community.”
The tour reflects the EAC’s 7th Development Strategy, which identifies social cohesion through culture and sports as a priority for regional integration.
Mbundi added that integration should be driven not only by governments but also by citizens, communities, young people, the private sector and civil society.
In Kenya, the cyclists have used the tour to promote youth participation and awareness of regional integration.
The team launched EAC Integration Clubs at Menengai High School in Nakuru and Umoja One Primary School, adding to a growing network of young people engaging with the integration agenda.
Great Africa Cycling Safari founding director John Balongo said the tour had grown beyond cycling to include environmental conservation and community engagement.
“This year, we have launched four EAC Integration Clubs in schools across the region and planted more than 3,000 trees along the cycling route,” said Balongo.
He added that the cyclists had also conducted community sensitisation on EAC integration and the benefits of regional cooperation.
Great Africa Cycling Safari chairman Ben Twine thanked the EAC Secretariat for its support and called for stronger collaboration to expand the initiative and reach more communities.
He said organisers were committed to working with the EAC and Partner States to make the tour bigger and better in the coming years.
The EAC Secretariat said it would continue exploring areas of collaboration with the organisers and Partner States to strengthen the initiative and maximise its contribution to regional integration.
