2021 in East Africa

 Burundi

• Chief of state and Head of government: President: Évariste Ndayishimiye, (since 2020).[1]
• First Vice President Gaston Sindimwo (since 2015)
• Second Vice President Joseph Butore (since 2015)

 Comoros

• Chief of state and Head of government: President Azali Assoumani (since 2016)[2]

Comoros also claims the island of Mayotte.[3]

 Djibouti

• Chief of state: President Ismail Omar Guelleh (since 1999)[4]
• Head of government: Prime Minister Abdoulkader Kamil Mohamed (since 2013)[4]

 Eritrea

• Chief of state and Head of government: President Isaias Afwerki (since 1993)[5]

 Ethiopia

• Chief of state: President Sahle-Work Zewde (since 2018)[6]
• Head of government:Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (since 2018)[6]
  • Deputy Prime Minister Demeke Mekonnen (since 2012)[6]

 Kenya

• Chief of state and Head of government: President Uhuru Kenyatta (since 2013)[7]
  • Deputy President: William Ruto (since 2013)[7]

 Madagascar

• Chief of state: President Andry Rajoelina (since 2019)[8]
• Head of government: Prime Minister Christian Ntsay (since 2018)[8]

 Malawi

• Chief of state and Head of government: President Lazarus Chakwera (starting 2020)[9]
• Vice-President Saulos Chilima (since 2020)

 Mauritius

• Chief of state: President Prithvirajsing Roopun (since 2019)[10]
• Head of government: Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth (since 2017)[10]

Mauritius claims sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago (including Diego Garcia), although this claim is disputed by the UK.[11]

• Chief of state: President of France Emmanuel Macron (since 2017)[12]
• Head of government: Prime Minister of France Édouard Philippe (since 2017)[12]
• President of the Departmental Council Soibahadine Ibrahim Ramadani (since 2015)

Mayotte is an overseas department and region of France also claimed by Comoros.[13][3]

 Mozambique

• Chief of state: President Filipe Nyusi (since 2015)[14]
• Head of government: Prime Minister Carlos Agostinho do Rosário (since 2015)[14]

Réunion is an overseas department and region of France.[15]

• Chief of state: President Emmanuel Macron (since 2017)[12]
• Head of government: Prime Minister of France: Édouard Philippe (since 2017)[12]
• President of the Regional Council: Didier Robert (since 2010)

 Rwanda

• Chief of state: President Paul Kagame (since 2000)[16]
• Head of government: Prime Minister Édouard Ngirente (since 2017)[16]

 Seychelles

• Chief of state and Head of government: President Wavel Ramkalawan (starting 2020).[17]
• Vice-President: Ahmed Afif (starting October 26, 2020)[17]

 Somalia

• Chief of state: President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed (since 2017)[18]
• Head of government: Prime Minister> Mohamed Hussein Roble (starting 2020)[19]

The Republic of Somaliland claims independence from Somalia.[20]

• President: Muse Bihi Abdi

• Vice President: Abdirahman Saylici
• Speaker of the House: Bashe Mohamed Farah
• Chairman of Elders: Suleiman Mohamoud Adan
• Chief Justice: Adan Haji Ali

 South Sudan [21]

• Chief of state and Head of government: President Salva Kiir Mayardit (since 2011)[22]
  • First Vice-President Taban Deng Gai (since 2016)[22]
  • Second Vice President James Wani Igga (since 2016)[22]

 Tanzania

• Chief of state and Head of government: President
  • John Magufuli (died March 17)[23][24]
  • Samia Suluhu (starting March 17)
• Vice-President
  • Samia Suluhu (until March 17)[23]
• Head of government: Prime Minister: Kassim Majaliwa (since 2015)[23]

 Uganda

• Chief of state: President, Yoweri Museveni (since 1988)[25]
  • Vice President: Edward Ssekandi (since 2011)[25]
• Head of government: Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda (since 2014)[25]
  • First Deputy Prime Minister: Moses Ali (since 2016)[25]
  • Second Deputy Prime Minister Kirunda Kivenjinja (since 2016)[25]

 Zambia

• Chief of state and Head of government: President, Edgar Lungu (since 2015)[26]
  • Vice-President Inonge Wina (since 2015)[26]

 Zimbabwe

• Chief of state: President Emmerson Mnangagwa (since 2017)[27]
• Vice-President
  • Kembo Mohadi (until March 1)[28]

• January 13 – Sudan claims an Ethiopian military plane crossed its border. Ethiopia denies it.[29]
• January 14
  • The World Food Programme (WFP) says that 1.35 million people in Madagascar are food insecure and need US$35 million in emergency aid.[30]
  • U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement deports 100 asylum-seekers from Somalia, Ethiopia, and Kenya to Nairobi days before the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden.[31]
• January 18 – Internet service is restored in 90% of Uganda after a five-day blackout; Bobi Wine remains under house arrest since 15 January.[32]
• January 19
  • Tensions rise along the border between Sudan and Ethiopia days after Sudan accused Ethiopia of violating its airspace.[33] South Sudan has offered to mediate.[34]
  • Cyclone Eloise makes landfall in Madagascar, killing one.
• January 23
  • Ugandan peace-keeprers in Sigaale, Adimole, and Kayitoy, Somalia, kill 189 Al-Shabaab fighters.[35]
  • Cyclone Eloise: 100,000 people are evacuated when the hurricane hits, but flooding and damage have been slight in Mozambique.[36] Four deaths have been confirmed.
• January 24
  • COVID-19 pandemic: Four members of the Cabinet of Zimbabwe die in the first two weeks of January.[37]
  • Reverien Ndikuriyo is chosen as the leader of the National Council for the Defense of Democracy – Forces for the Defense of Democracy (CNDD–FDD) in Burundi.[38]
• January 25 – Tigray War: Members of the Eritrean Army are accused of widespread looting and weaponizing hunger. Eritrea denies it has soldiers in Ethiopia.[39]
• January 27 – The United States Department of State demands that Eritrea withdraw from Tigray.[40]

• February 4 – The ICC finds Dominic Ongwen, 45, of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity.[41]
• February 7 – DR Congo President Felix Tshisekedi, new chair of the African Union, says he intends to make settlement of the dispute over Ethiopia's Renaissance Dam a priority.[42]
• February 9 – The single hospital in Mayotte is overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients.[43]
• February 22 – Fifteen Tigrayans among Ethiopian peacekeepers who were due to return home on Monday ask to remain in South Sudan, citing fears of going back to Ethiopia.[44]
• February 24 – Egypt endorses Sudan's proposal to internationalize the Ethiopian Renaissance Dam controversy, calling for the participation of the African Union, the United Nations, the European Union, and the United States.[45]

• March 1 – Zimbabwe vice president Kembo Mohadi resigns after allegations of sexual misconduct.[28]
• March 9 – Workers in Mauritius begin pumping 130 tons of fuel from the Chinese fishing boat Lu Rong Yuan Yu that ran aground on a coral reef.[46]

• January 14 – 2021 Ugandan general election: Incumbent Yoweri Museveni was declared the winner with 5.85 million votes (58.64%); the main opposition candidate, Bobi Wine alleged fraud.[47]
• February 8 – 2021 Somali presidential election: postponed indefinitely; international groups insist a new date be established to prevent violence.[48]
• 2021 Somali parliamentary election
• May – 2021 Somaliland municipal elections.[49]
• May – 2021 Somaliland parliamentary election.[49]
• June 5 – 2021 Ethiopian general election

• January 12 – Sidik Mia, 56, Malawi politician, MP (2004–2014), Minister of Defence (2009–2010), Minister of Transport and Public Works (since 2020); COVID-19.[103]
• January 18 – Joevana Charles, 66, Seychellois politician, member of the National Assembly (1993–2016).[104]
• January 20 – Sibusiso Moyo, 61, Zimbabwean politician (Ministry of Foreign Affairs); COVID-19.[105]
• February 17 – Seif Sharif Hamad, 77, Vice President of Zanzibar (December 7, 2020 – February 17, 2021), Tanzania; acute pneumonia related to COVID-19.[106]
• March 6 – Nicolas Bwakira, 79, Burundian diplomat.[107] (death announced on this date)
• March 10 – Ali Mahdi Muhammad, 82, Somali politician, president (1991–1997); COVID-19.[108]
• March 17 – John Magufuli, 61, Tanzanian politician, president (since 2015), minister of works, transports and communications (2000–2005, 2010–2015) and MP (1995–2015); heart failure.[24]
• March 29 – Sarah Onyango Obama, 99, Kenyan educator and philanthropist, grandmother of former U.S. President Barack Obama; complications from diabetes and a stroke.[109]

• 11 May - Zemi Yenus, 61, Ethiopian businesswoman and autism activist, complications from COVID-19.[110]