Agroecology has the potential to address food security and sustainability challenges in East Africa, but regional complexities require customized indicator frameworks that stakeholders, including smallholder farmers, extension services, local communities, policymakers, and agri-businesses, can easily adopt. However, many existing agroecological frameworks fail to integrate key aspects such as aquaculture and circular-water-energy systems. Specifically, seven of the nine reviewed frameworks do not include Integrated Aqua-Agriculture (IAA) metrics, creating a significant gap in agroecological assessments. Main Body: This review evaluates nine agroecological indicator frameworks for East Africa, focusing on their ability to monitor and support sustainable transitions in farming. These frameworks assess sustainability across economic, environmental, and social dimensions, considering resource efficiency, biodiversity, soil health, and profitability.