AMECEA is an acronym for “Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa” It is a Catholic service organization for the National Episcopal Conferences of the eight countries of Eastern Africa, namely Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. Djibouti and Somalia are affiliate members.

The authority over all AMECEA’s activities rests with the Plenary Assembly of all the Bishops of the AMECEA countries. Between the Plenary Assemblies, the Executive Board takes the necessary decisions, according to the AMECEA priorities.

The day to day decisions are taken on behalf of the Chairman by the Secretary General who also coordinates the AMECEA departments and institutions.

In the year 2011 AMECEA will be marking 50 years since it was founded(1961). In this 50 years AMECEA has been holding Plenary Assemblies after every three years on rotational basis from one country to another. This makes a total of 16 Plenary Assemblies which were conducted carrying various themes according to the needs of the time. Most of these Plenaries have led to the deliberating of concrete pastoral plans including founding of institutions and the formation of Small Christian Communities.