Movement of goods between Kenya and Uganda will now be treated as transfers as the two governments move to eliminate all tariffs associated with trade at all border points.
Additionally, Kenya and Uganda have prioritised completion of key infrastructure projects, among them border posts, roads and bridges to aid the movement of goods and people across the region.
A joint communique from the respective countries’ ministers of trade detailed the expected changes, noting directives from President William Ruto and his Ugandan counterpart Yoweri Museveni to convene a meeting to resolve all trade barriers between the two countries.
Following the directive, the two ministers – Lee Kinyajui (Kenya) and Wilson Mbasu Mbadi (Uganda) – convened a sideline meeting on July 31, 2025, in Nairobi, where they agreed to exchange lists of all products affected by non-tariff barriers (NTBs) and thereafter convene a technical meeting in Mbale, Uganda, from August 18 -22, 2025.
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During this period, technical officers took an assessment of operations at the borders of Suam, Busia, Malaba and Lwakhakha to ascertain causes of delays and congestion.
They were also to come up with recommendations to the ministers on how to resolve the barriers during their meeting on August 29-30, 2025.
It is from the latter meeting that the recommendations for classifying the movement of goods across the two countries came to be.
“The ministers directed that all products originating between Kenya and Uganda be treated as transfers,” reads the communique in part.
Uganda is Kenya’s top trading partner. In 2024, Kenya exported goods worth Sh125.9 billion to the country, the highest among the East African Community States and individual countries in Africa.
In the same period, Kenya imported goods worth Sh37.7 billion from Uganda. In the EAC market, Kenya imported the most from Tanzania, valued at Sh58.7 billion in 2024.
The meeting was influenced by Museveni’s official visit to Kenya last month, where he inked eight deals to strengthen bilateral relations with Dr Ruto. The communique adds that both ministers are committed to eliminating all existing tariffs and NTBs hindering trade between the two countries. The ministers also agreed to fully implement all trade-related commitments under the EAC Treaty and Protocols. “In this regard, the ministers agreed to remove all discriminatory excise duties, levies and other charges of equivalent effects,” the communique dated August 30, 2025, stated.
On the Malaba border issue, the ministers directed the agencies in charge to clear the congestion within 24 hours and reduce and maintain it to not more than four kilometres. The same instructions were issued for the Busia border with the directive for congestion to be not more than 500 metres.
“The ministers directed the border management agencies to ensure 24/7 – hour operations of their respective functions,” the communique says.
On the Malaba weigh bridge, Uganda committed to immediately addressing the issues related to operations along the major trade corridor as a measure to facilitate faster movement of goods.
The communique lists the Suam and Lwakhakha borders among the infrastructure projects earmarked for completion.
Both countries will upgrade road infrastructure, as Kenya has committed to acquiring a scanner. For Suam, they are committed to complete the construction works. “Both ministers directed joint border committees to be operationalised to resolve operational challenges and escalate unresolved matters to higher authorities,” the ministers said.
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Movement of goods between Kenya and Uganda will now be treated as transfers as the two governments move to eliminate all tariffs associated with trade at all border points.
Additionally, Kenya and Uganda have prioritised completion of key infrastructure projects, among them border posts, roads and bridges to aid the movement of goods and people across the region.
A joint communique from the respective countries’ ministers of trade detailed the expected changes, noting directives from President William Ruto and his Ugandan counterpart Yoweri Museveni to convene a meeting to resolve all trade barriers between the two countries.
Following the directive, the two ministers – Lee Kinyajui (Kenya) and Wilson Mbasu Mbadi (Uganda) – convened a sideline meeting on July 31, 2025, in Nairobi, where they agreed to exchange lists of all products affected by non-tariff barriers (NTBs) and thereafter convene a technical meeting in Mbale, Uganda, from August 18 -22, 2025.
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During this period, technical officers took an assessment of operations at the borders of Suam, Busia, Malaba and Lwakhakha to ascertain causes of delays and congestion.
They were also to come up with recommendations to the ministers on how to resolve the barriers during their meeting on August 29-30, 2025.
It is from the latter meeting that the recommendations for classifying the movement of goods across the two countries came to be.
“The ministers directed that all products originating between Kenya and Uganda be treated as transfers,” reads the communique in part.
Uganda is Kenya’s top trading partner. In 2024, Kenya exported goods worth Sh125.9 billion to the country, the highest among the East African Community States and individual countries in Africa.
In the same period, Kenya imported goods worth Sh37.7 billion from Uganda. In the EAC market, Kenya imported the most from Tanzania, valued at Sh58.7 billion in 2024.
The meeting was influenced by Museveni’s official visit to Kenya last month, where he inked eight deals to strengthen bilateral relations with Dr Ruto. The communique adds that both ministers are committed to eliminating all existing tariffs and NTBs hindering trade between the two countries. The ministers also agreed to fully implement all trade-related commitments under the EAC Treaty and Protocols. “In this regard, the ministers agreed to remove all discriminatory excise duties, levies and other charges of equivalent effects,” the communique dated August 30, 2025, stated.
On the Malaba border issue, the ministers directed the agencies in charge to clear the congestion within 24 hours and reduce and maintain it to not more than four kilometres. The same instructions were issued for the Busia border with the directive for congestion to be not more than 500 metres.
“The ministers directed the border management agencies to ensure 24/7 – hour operations of their respective functions,” the communique says.
On the Malaba weigh bridge, Uganda committed to immediately addressing the issues related to operations along the major trade corridor as a measure to facilitate faster movement of goods.
The communique lists the Suam and Lwakhakha borders among the infrastructure projects earmarked for completion.
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Both countries will upgrade road infrastructure, as Kenya has committed to acquiring a scanner. For Suam, they are committed to complete the construction works. “Both ministers directed joint border committees to be operationalised to resolve operational challenges and escalate unresolved matters to higher authorities,” the ministers said.
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By Graham Kajilwa