Uganda and Kenya Strengthen Ties with New Agreements.
Kampala, Uganda – President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni of Uganda and President William Ruto of Kenya have signed several new agreements, boosting the partnership between their two countries. This brings the total number of cooperation agreements between Uganda and Kenya to 25.
The new agreements cover important areas such as:
Tourism
Fishing and Fish Farming
Agriculture and Animal Farming
Transport and Roads
Cooperation between Standards Bureaus
Encouraging Investment
Property Rights
Support for Small Businesses Trading Across Borders
These agreements show that both nations are committed to working more closely together on their economies, increasing trade, and making the East African region more stable.
At a joint press conference, President Museveni highlighted Africa's potential to grow through producing goods in factories and farming. He also stressed how important it is to find markets for these goods and services.
President Ruto praised the strong partnership between Kenya and Uganda, saying it comes from shared beliefs and a common goal for East Africa to become rich.
The signing of these agreements marks a new chapter in the relationship between Uganda and Kenya. Both leaders have confirmed their dedication to working together for a more connected and economically strong region.
This is very good news to the country as well as concern organizations, but please have to consider that increase in import duties imposed by the Kenyan government on goods originating from Uganda, viz., Ceramic Tiles, please consider this matter as an emergency basis and do the necessity steps about this issue.
ReplyDeleteWe have observed that certain Kenyan authorities have been implementing increased import duties, including excise duties on goods like sugar and potentially other products, which were previously subject to preferential treatment under the EAC framework [2, 6]. This action is not only detrimental to Ugandan businesses but also undermines the spirit of regional integration and economic cooperation that the EAC strives to achieve [2, 13].
ReplyDeleteThe increased duties are creating significant barriers to trade, increasing costs for Ugandan exporters and potentially leading to a decline in trade volumes between our two nations [2, 10]. This situation is particularly concerning given the already established trade relations and the reliance of many Ugandan businesses on the Kenyan market [2, 10].
We urge your esteemed office to take immediate and decisive action to address this issue. Specifically, we request that:
1. **Engage with the Kenyan Government:** Initiate a dialogue with the Kenyan authorities to express our concerns and request a review of the increased duties to ensure alignment with the EAC Customs Union Protocol [2, 5].
2. **Engage with the EAC Secretariat:** Formalize the issue with the EAC Secretariat to seek their intervention and guidance in resolving the matter through established regional dispute mechanisms [3, 9].
3. **Advocate for Compliance:** Actively advocate for the full implementation and adherence to the EAC Customs Union Protocol across all partner states, emphasizing the importance of free movement of goods and non-discriminatory trade practices [13, 15].
We believe that a swift and effective resolution to this matter is crucial for maintaining healthy trade relations within the EAC and ensuring that Ugandan businesses can continue to operate within a predictable and supportive regional trade environment [2, 10, 13].
We look forward to your prompt attention and action on this critical issue.