Kenya and Uganda admit border trade fixes are still not done

Trade officials from Kenya and Uganda met at Speke Resort Munyonyo in Kampala from 6 to 8 October, for the second meeting of the committee the two countries set up to find and remove the barriers that hold up goods between them. Presidents William Ruto and Yoweri Museveni committed to removing those barriers in July 2025.

Both sides said the agreed fixes are moving too slowly. "Here we are in October 2026, and something is just not on track," said Kenya's Trade Principal Secretary, Regina Ombam. Uganda's Minister of State for Trade, Wilson Mbasu Mbadi, said commitments are made "and yet implementation remains slow or nonexistent".

What was on the table

The meeting focused on non-tariff barriers, the permits, standards and checks that slow trade without being a tax, and on the border itself: better coordination at Busia and Malaba, stronger one-stop border posts, and faster work on the alternative crossings at Suam and Lwakhakha.

Uganda's Trade Permanent Secretary, Lynette Bagonza, told the meeting that Uganda's trade deficit with Kenya widened to US$592.3 million in the first half of its 2025/26 financial year, and called for decisive action on the barriers. The two countries agreed to turn the committee's decisions into an implementation plan with timelines and named institutions responsible for each step. No dates were published.