Regional Education Reform: EAC partner states renewed calls for harmonized education systems—curricula, qualifications and teacher development—to close learning gaps and make cross-border schooling seamless. Health & Research: CEPI-backed work is pushing an African Ebola vaccine candidate for Bundibugyo Ebola into clinical trials, with Minapharm Group securing $16.5m to advance the program. Public Health Access: Uganda’s HIV, TB and malaria fight faces barriers beyond medicines, with an EOC assessment pointing to poverty, distance, stigma and disability blocking access and follow-up. Digital Connectivity: MTN Uganda partnered with Starlink to extend satellite-enabled connectivity to remote enterprise areas, targeting sectors like education, healthcare and agriculture. Digital Giving: MTN MoMo launched a faith-based digital giving menu (16511#) for tithes, zakat, sadaqah and more, improving itemised reporting for institutions. Agriculture & Food Security: NARO has started seed multiplication for four new Irish potato varieties (NAROPOT 7–10), aiming to boost yields and disease resistance in highland areas. Energy Risk: Kenya’s electricity reserve margin has fallen sharply, raising rationing concerns if outages or demand spikes hit. Innovation Policy: Government set conditions for supporting private university innovations only when prototypes show product viability for commercialisation. STEM Industry: Blencowe reported new test results for Orom-Cross graphite across advanced battery uses, including a planned US pilot production line.