Digital public infrastructure in the East African Community

Digital public infrastructure (DPI) is becoming a practical enabler of East African integration. In this report, Melody Musoni, Raphael Pouyé and Steve Odhiambo identify key strengths, gaps and opportunities for both the bloc and its partner states and map the bloc’s emerging ‘DPI+’ approach.

Summary

Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) refers to digital rails on which modern services run, linking systems for identity, payments and data exchange to enable secure, interoperable and large-scale service delivery. In the East African Community (EAC), DPI is increasingly seen not only as a tool for national digital transformation, but also as a practical pathway for advancing regional and continental integration. 

This study assesses the state of DPI across the EAC, identifying key strengths, gaps and opportunities for both the bloc and its partner states. Findings show that the EAC adopts a broader ‘DPI+’ approach, which goes beyond the three conventional pillars, to include connectivity, digital skills and governance as foundational enablers. This reflects the realities of the region, where uneven infrastructure, institutional capacity and regulatory readiness continue to shape what can be implemented in practice. 

Furthermore, the EAC has shown political commitment through frameworks such as the Cross-Border Digital Payments Masterplan and the Data Governance Framework, but progress remains uneven. While some countries are advancing across several DPI pillars, others are following more payments-led pathways. The report presents cross-border use cases of DPI as areas where the regional value of DPI becomes visible and points in particular to digital payments, trade and logistics, qualifications recognition and health as sectors where interoperable systems could make regional integration more tangible. The next phase will depend on stronger regional coordination, interoperable policy frameworks, investment in shared infrastructure and skills, and greater attention to data protection, cybersecurity, inclusion and accountability.

Link: https://ecdpm.org/work/digital-public-infrastructure-east-african-commu…