The summit of the heads of state of the six-member East African Community (EAC) scheduled to start on Friday in Tanzania's tourist city of Arusha was postponed in the last minute due to a lack of quorum.

President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, the chairman of the summit, announced the postponement of the summit to Dec. 27 after the absence of the representatives from Burundi.

President Museveni announced the postponement of the summit after consultations with Tanzanian President John Magufuli and President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya, said a statement from Tanzania's Directorate of Presidential Communication in the commercial capital Dar es Salaam.

Burundi is reported to have requested for the postponement of the summit due to its domestic issues, including matters pertaining to preparation of the new constitution and preparation for the 2020 elections.