East Africa Green Federation (EAGF) regional countries have selected Rwanda as the new home for a proposed fully-fledged headquarters project that will help coordinate operations in the region and attract business.
The decision was taken during an East Africa Green Federation (EAGF) Congress held in Kigali on July 26, 2025, chaired by Democratic Green Party of Rwanda (DGPR) President Dr. Frank Habineza (also EAGF Chairman) and attended by delegations from Uganda, Kenya, Sudan, Burundi, Somalia, and hosts Rwanda.
This idea was conceived and tabled by Somalia’s Green Party representative and Minister of State Public Works, Said Mohamed Mohamoud, who said that this concept came to him as a dream while spending a night in Kigali.
“If you want to dream big ideas, it is only in Kigali. The city is clean, safe, and secure, enabling me to dream big for the Green Party Federation to have a headquarters in such a place of big dreams,” Mohamoud said.
This idea was backed by the federation member states, but it had to be debated for its feasibility, practicability, and legal implications, considering that Kenya and Uganda had also submitted their bids to host the headquarters, with the latter pledging an office building as Uganda has temporarily hosted the head office for the last few years.
However, Mohamoud said that the choice of Rwanda was undebatable for many reasons and stated that it is a timely move to represent the growth of the Greens in the region.
“We think it is the right time to have a headquarters that represents us, and it has to be in Rwanda. If the budget cost is, for example, $200,000, all of us should contribute and maybe ask donors or other green parties to assist us,” Mohamoud said.
The Ecological Party of Uganda President, Charles Barry Lwanga, who had offered a space for the head office, consented that there is no topic of discussion and pulled out in favor of Rwanda, stating that the country is fit despite the contest to host the HQ.
Charles Barry Lwanga
Rwanda’s Take:
The Rwandan side backed the proposal and said that this will enhance its accordance with the green growth agenda in Rwanda, and they will be able to push the acquisition of some of the requirements, including soliciting land in the city or in Bugesera district, which is closer to Kigali.
Dr. Frank Habineza committed to expediting the project on behalf of the Green Party of Rwanda. “We would like to accept that the HQ will be hosted in Rwanda, and with the construction of Bugesera International Airport, we can even find land in Bugesera,” he said.
Dr. Frank Habineza
In the meantime, Habineza said that they will temporarily use one of the four party offices to host the federation’s HQ as a way to kick-start the process and coordinate activities of seeking land and other logistical needs.
Project Feasibility:
Habineza said that with the opening of the Kigali International Financial Center and Rwanda having a visa-free entry policy, revision of laws to allow international organizations to establish a base in Rwanda, among others, will enable the project implementation.
“Rwanda has opened up to the world and is willing to receive. So, this is another good motivation to have the federation headquarters in Kigali,” he said.
DGPR Commissioner for Economic Affairs, Leonard Gashugi, said, “This is a good time to have Rwanda host the HQ considering the good leadership of President Kagame and Green Party leader Dr. Habineza. We can make this plan happen.”
“This is a timely choice to take since many international organizations are now coming to Rwanda,” he said.
DGPR Secretary-General, MP Jean Claude Ntezimana, also noted that having a head office will enable the federation to move further in terms of politics, financially, and capacity in the country, region, and beyond.
Ntezimana added that having Dr. Habineza as head of the federation for the second time will enable him to use his experience to support the EAGF in implementing this project.
The congress discussed issues of membership, financial contributions, adopted changes of names for some Green Party member states, such as the Ecological Party of Uganda to Green Forum Uganda, and amendments to the constitution to allow the headquarters officially moved from Uganda to Rwanda.
Green Party reps from Burundi, Kenya
