diff --git a/bootstrap/eks/controllers/eksconfig_controller.go b/bootstrap/eks/controllers/eksconfig_controller.go
index c982c90980..a0c4e7fed1 100644
--- a/bootstrap/eks/controllers/eksconfig_controller.go
+++ b/bootstrap/eks/controllers/eksconfig_controller.go
@@ -20,27 +20,20 @@ package controllers
 import (
 	"bytes"
 	"context"
+	"encoding/base64"
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
 	"time"
 
-	"github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go/aws"
-	"github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go/aws/session"
-	"github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go/service/eks"
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 	corev1 "k8s.io/api/core/v1"
 	apierrors "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/errors"
 	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/types"
+	"k8s.io/client-go/tools/clientcmd"
 	"k8s.io/klog/v2"
 	"k8s.io/utils/ptr"
-	ctrl "sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime"
-	"sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime/pkg/client"
-	"sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime/pkg/controller"
-	"sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime/pkg/handler"
-	"sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime/pkg/source"
-
 	eksbootstrapv1 "sigs.k8s.io/cluster-api-provider-aws/v2/bootstrap/eks/api/v1beta2"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/cluster-api-provider-aws/v2/bootstrap/eks/internal/userdata"
 	ekscontrolplanev1 "sigs.k8s.io/cluster-api-provider-aws/v2/controlplane/eks/api/v1beta2"
@@ -53,8 +46,14 @@ import (
 	"sigs.k8s.io/cluster-api/feature"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/cluster-api/util"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/cluster-api/util/conditions"
+	kubeconfigutil "sigs.k8s.io/cluster-api/util/kubeconfig"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/cluster-api/util/patch"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/cluster-api/util/predicates"
+	ctrl "sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime"
+	"sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime/pkg/client"
+	"sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime/pkg/controller"
+	"sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime/pkg/handler"
+	"sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime/pkg/source"
 )
 
 const (
@@ -323,36 +322,19 @@ func (r *EKSConfigReconciler) joinWorker(ctx context.Context, cluster *clusterv1
 			log.Info("Using mock CA certificate for test environment")
 			nodeInput.CACert = "mock-ca-certificate-for-testing"
 		} else {
-			// Fetch CA cert from EKS API
-			sess, err := session.NewSession(&aws.Config{Region: aws.String(controlPlane.Spec.Region)})
-			if err != nil {
-				log.Error(err, "Failed to create AWS session for EKS API")
-				conditions.MarkFalse(config, eksbootstrapv1.DataSecretAvailableCondition,
-					eksbootstrapv1.DataSecretGenerationFailedReason,
-					clusterv1.ConditionSeverityWarning,
-					"Failed to create AWS session: %v", err)
-				return ctrl.Result{}, err
+			// Fetch CA cert from KubeConfig secret
+			// We already have the cluster object passed to this function
+			obj := client.ObjectKey{
+				Namespace: cluster.Namespace,
+				Name:      cluster.Name,
 			}
-			eksClient := eks.New(sess)
-			describeInput := &eks.DescribeClusterInput{Name: aws.String(controlPlane.Spec.EKSClusterName)}
-			clusterOut, err := eksClient.DescribeCluster(describeInput)
+			ca, err := r.extractCAFromSecret(ctx, obj)
 			if err != nil {
-				log.Error(err, "Failed to describe EKS cluster for CA cert fetch")
-				conditions.MarkFalse(config, eksbootstrapv1.DataSecretAvailableCondition,
-					eksbootstrapv1.DataSecretGenerationFailedReason,
-					clusterv1.ConditionSeverityWarning,
-					"Failed to describe EKS cluster: %v", err)
+				log.Error(err, "Failed to extract CA from kubeconfig secret")
+				conditions.MarkFalse(config, eksbootstrapv1.DataSecretAvailableCondition, eksbootstrapv1.DataSecretGenerationFailedReason, clusterv1.ConditionSeverityWarning, "Failed to extract CA from kubeconfig secret: %v", err)
 				return ctrl.Result{}, err
-			} else if clusterOut.Cluster != nil && clusterOut.Cluster.CertificateAuthority != nil && clusterOut.Cluster.CertificateAuthority.Data != nil {
-				nodeInput.CACert = *clusterOut.Cluster.CertificateAuthority.Data
-			} else {
-				log.Error(nil, "CA certificate not found in EKS cluster response")
-				conditions.MarkFalse(config, eksbootstrapv1.DataSecretAvailableCondition,
-					eksbootstrapv1.DataSecretGenerationFailedReason,
-					clusterv1.ConditionSeverityWarning,
-					"CA certificate not found in EKS cluster response")
-				return ctrl.Result{}, fmt.Errorf("CA certificate not found in EKS cluster response")
 			}
+			nodeInput.CACert = ca
 		}
 
 		// Get AMI ID from AWSManagedMachinePool's launch template if specified
@@ -377,9 +359,7 @@ func (r *EKSConfigReconciler) joinWorker(ctx context.Context, cluster *clusterv1
 			}
 		}
 
-		log.Info("Generating AL2023 userdata",
-			"cluster", controlPlane.Spec.EKSClusterName,
-			"endpoint", nodeInput.APIServerEndpoint)
+		log.Info("Generating AL2023 userdata", "cluster", controlPlane.Spec.EKSClusterName, "endpoint", nodeInput.APIServerEndpoint)
 	} else {
 		nodeInput.AMIFamilyType = userdata.AMIFamilyAL2
 		log.Info("Generating standard userdata for node type", "type", config.Spec.NodeType)
@@ -581,3 +561,23 @@ func (r *EKSConfigReconciler) updateBootstrapSecret(ctx context.Context, secret
 	}
 	return false, nil
 }
+
+func (r *EKSConfigReconciler) extractCAFromSecret(ctx context.Context, obj client.ObjectKey) (string, error) {
+	data, err := kubeconfigutil.FromSecret(ctx, r.Client, obj)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", errors.Wrapf(err, "failed to get kubeconfig secret %s", obj.Name)
+	}
+	config, err := clientcmd.Load(data)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", errors.Wrapf(err, "failed to parse kubeconfig data from secret %s", obj.Name)
+	}
+
+	// Iterate through all clusters in the kubeconfig and use the first one with CA data
+	for _, cluster := range config.Clusters {
+		if len(cluster.CertificateAuthorityData) > 0 {
+			return base64.StdEncoding.EncodeToString(cluster.CertificateAuthorityData), nil
+		}
+	}
+
+	return "", fmt.Errorf("no cluster with CA data found in kubeconfig")
+}