The regulatory landscape for drone operations in East Africa has evolved significantly over the past 18 months. Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania have all published updated civil aviation authority frameworks that affect how commercial UAV operators plan and execute missions.
Rwanda's Civil Aviation Authority (RCAA) introduced a three-tier permit system in Q1 2026. Tier 1 covers recreational flights below 120m in uncontrolled airspace. Tier 2 covers commercial operations with a standard permit valid for 12 months. Tier 3 covers Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) flights, which now require a dedicated operational authorisation and a demonstrated safety case.
Kenya's KCAA updated its remote pilot licence requirements in February 2026, mandating a minimum of 40 hours of documented flight time for commercial certification — up from 20 hours under the previous regime. Foreign operators seeking to fly in Kenya must now submit an advance notice of 14 business days rather than 7.
The practical implication for operators is straightforward: start your permit applications earlier than you think you need to, and ensure your operations manual is current. AEROVYN's compliance team manages all permit filings on behalf of our clients, ensuring zero mission delays due to administrative bottlenecks.
Looking ahead, the East African Community (EAC) has published a draft framework for a harmonised regional UAV regulatory standard. If adopted, this would allow a single licence to cover commercial operations across all six EAC member states — a significant development for cross-border infrastructure projects.
