The National Securities Exchange of Somalia (NSES) is joining the Somali Stock Exchange as a member of the East African Securities Exchanges Association (EASEA), which brings together the exchanges of Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, Tanzania, Uganda and Ethiopia, as well as Burundi when that exchange will be launched.

The EASEA, like the East African Securities Regulators Association (EASRA), is an agency of the East African Community. Somalia became the 8th Partner State of the EAC on 24 November 2023 and the process of joining the EAC was finalized on 4 March 2024 after being ratified by Somalia’s Parliament.

An aim of EASEA is to support deeper integration of the region’s capital markets and to support capital flows.

In April 2025, EASEA launched the East Africa Exchanges (EAE) 20-Share Index to track price movements and changes in market capitalization of its constituent firms, offering a transparent benchmark for investors, analysts, and policymakers. According to a press release by the Nairobi Securities Exchange “The EAE 20 Share Index is a market capitalization-weighted index, comprising a cross-section of the top 20 listed public companies from multiple sectors across Nairobi, Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda stock exchanges.

“Collectively, these listed companies represent over 85% of the region’s equity market universe. The companies included in the Index are:

1. Safaricom Plc
2. KCB Group Plc
3. Equity Group Holdings Plc
4. The Co-operative Bank of Kenya Limited
5. Absa Bank Kenya Plc
6. CRDB Bank Plc
7. NMB Bank Plc
8. Tanzania Breweries Limited
9. Tanga Cement Company Limited
10. Tanzania Cigarette Corporation
11. Bralirwa Limited
12. BK Group Plc
13. I&M Bank (Rwanda) Plc
14. Cimerwa Plc
15. MTN Rwandacell Plc
16. MTN Uganda Limited
17. Stanbic Uganda Holdings
18. Bank of Baroda (Uganda)
19. Airtel Uganda Limited
20. Quality Chemical Industries Limited

To qualify for inclusion in the Index, companies must meet the following criteria:

• The company’s shares must be primarily listed on one of the participating East African securities exchanges
• The company must have maintained a continuous listing for a minimum of one year on the respective exchange.
• The company should be a recognized blue-chip firm, demonstrating strong profitability and a consistent dividend payment history.

Frank Mwiti, CEO of the NSE, commented: “The introduction of the first regional index marks a significant milestone in the growth and deepening of East African capital markets and their economies. The EAE 20 Share Index is poised to enhance market transparency, attract both cross-border and international investment, and provide a dependable benchmark for tracking regional market performance. It also reinforces ongoing efforts to promote the harmonization and integration of East African exchanges, fostering deeper collaboration across the region including laying a strong foundation for the development of innovative financial instruments, including exchange-traded funds and other index-linked products.”

EASEA is the umbrella body representing securities exchanges and depositories in the region, according to the NSE press release:

1. Nairobi Securities Exchange Plc
2. Uganda Securities Exchange Plc
3. Dar-es Salaam Stock Exchange
4. Rwanda Stock Exchange
5. Somali Stock Exchange
6. Burundi Securities Exchange
7. Ethiopia Securities Exchange
8. National Securities Exchange of Somalia
9. Central Depository & Settlement Corporation (Kenya)