By Patricia Mollyne Mataga
Kenya’s longstanding trade disputes with Uganda are set to come to an end. This is if talks from the ongoing visit by Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni to Kenya are anything to go by.
Museveni on Wednesday, May 16, 2024, started a three-day visit to the country.
On Thursday, May 16, 2024, the Ugandan President was hosted at State House Nairobi by President William Ruto.
Ruto in a televised address said trade disputes between the two countries will now be a thing of the past.
Kenya and Uganda have for years battled over the market for agricultural products among them maize, milk and eggs.
Both nations have at some point developed regulations targeted at products from the other country.
“We have agreed on making sure that trade between our two countries is unimpeded either by tariff or non-tariff barriers or levies that are arbitrarily levied,” Ruto said.
“We have agreed that the common principal will be the full implementation of the EAC customs and other infrastructure that support trade between East African Countries,” he added.
The head of state went further to announce that “all the issues that around rice, and juice, and furniture and eggs and chicken and sugar and all the other issues are now resolved.”
Kenya and Uganda have also had trade battles over oil trade. Not so long ago, Uganda had threatened to ink a deal with Tanzania over the supply of petroleum products.
But during the meeting at State House, the Head of State announced a plan to extend Kenya’s Pipeline to Uganda from Eldoret.
“We have also agreed that we will now explore jointly the extension of the pipeline from Eldoret to Kampala that will form the conversation in the next joint ministerial committee,” Ruto said.
Earlier, the two countries signed a tripartite agreement on the importation and transit of refined petroleum products that will enable Ugandan National Oil Company to import refined products directly from producers, subsequently ending the sector’s challenges.
“We will continuously provide support to make sure this new agreement is implemented, its functioning and mutually beneficial,” Ruto said.