EAC Honours 26 Organisations at Quality Awards
The East African Community's 2026 Regional Quality Awards recognised winners and runners-up from six member states in Kigali, Rwanda.
Updated on Nov. 8, 2026 in Awards
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The East African Community honoured 26 organisations at its 2026 Regional Quality Awards in Kigali, Rwanda, presenting nine top awards across four categories. The ceremony was hosted by the Rwanda Standards Board on the sidelines of the 26th EAC MSME Trade Fair.
Why it matters
The awards connect national standards recognition with regional achievement, as National Standards Bodies nominate winners who advance to the regional competition coordinated by the EAC Secretariat. The regional framework was approved by the East African Standards Committee in 2022.
Nine top awards were presented across Company of the Year, Product of the Year, Service of the Year and Exporter of the Year. Kenya's Capital Markets Authority received the Company of the Year award for large enterprises, while Simba Pipe Industries Limited of Tanzania won the SME category.
The players
East African Community
A regional intergovernmental organisation of East African states that coordinates economic, trade and standards cooperation among its member countries.
Rwanda Standards Board
Rwanda's national standards body, which hosted the 2026 ceremony in Kigali.
International Trade Centre
A joint agency of the World Trade Organization and the United Nations that supports small and medium enterprises in developing countries with trade development.
The details
The ceremony recognised winners and runners-up from Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan and the United Republic of Tanzania. The initiative receives support from the European Union through the EU-EAC Market Access Upgrade Programme (MARKUP II), implemented by the International Trade Centre with the EAC Secretariat.
Timeline
2022: East African Standards Committee approved the awards' regional framework.
2026: The EAC held its Regional Quality Awards in Kigali.
Culture Shift
The awards are a product of the EU-EAC Market Access Upgrade Programme (MARKUP II), which funds regional standards cooperation to help East African products and firms meet quality benchmarks for trade. The competition thus ties national recognition to a broader regional push toward standardised quality.
For enterprises across East Africa, national standards bodies offer a path to regional recognition through the competition. Businesses that win national awards can advance to the regional stage coordinated by the EAC Secretariat.
The takeaway
Regional quality recognition links national standards bodies to a shared East African benchmark for excellence. Businesses seeking wider recognition can pursue national awards as the entry point to regional competition.
Further reading
Explore more Awards coverage for context on how regional recognition programmes honour business excellence.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Rwanda News Agency.
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