Uganda and Kenya call for faster action to remove trade barriers

Uganda and Kenya have called for faster implementation of measures to remove persistent trade barriers and improve the movement of goods between the two countries.

The call was made at the second Uganda–Kenya Joint Technical Committee (JTC) meeting on trade, held from 6 to 8 October 2026 at Speke Resort Munyonyo in Uganda.

The meeting brought together technical teams from both countries to review progress on unresolved trade issues and strengthen bilateral trade and economic cooperation.

Closing the meeting, Gen Wilson Mbasu Mbadi, Uganda’s Minister of State for Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, urged both countries to act swiftly on agreed measures, warning that delays were undermining regional integration.

“We are simply saying, provide an environment that allows fair trade and competitiveness. Uganda wants to export more products to the Kenyan market, just like you have access to our market,” he said.

Gen Mbadi also called for better coordination at the Busia and Malaba border crossings, stronger one-stop border posts and faster development of alternative crossings, including Suam and Lwakhakha.

“When matters are repeatedly discussed, commitments are made, and yet implementation remains slow or nonexistent, the credibility of the regional integration process is weakened,” he said.

He reaffirmed Uganda’s commitment to strengthening regional integration and building a more prosperous East Africa.

Uganda’s Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, Lynette Bagonza, called for decisive action to address non-tariff barriers.

She said Uganda’s bilateral trade deficit with Kenya had widened to $592.3m in the first half of the 2025/26 financial year.

Kenya’s Principal Secretary in the State Department for Trade, Regina Akoth Ombam, also urged both sides to speed up implementation of agreed measures.

“Here we are in October 2026, and something is just not on track,” she said.

Uganda’s Ambassador Eunice Kigenyi and Kenya’s High Commissioner, Ababu Namwamba, called on the committee to prioritise practical solutions with clear deadlines to resolve trade barriers and strengthen economic ties.

The two countries agreed to turn the meeting’s resolutions into an implementation plan setting out specific deadlines and the institutions responsible for delivering them.

The plan is intended to improve market access, ease the movement of goods and strengthen trade, investment and economic integration between Uganda and Kenya.