President Uhuru Kenyatta has said he is committed to creating a conducive environment for private businesses to thrive. He said this will attract investments and promote job creation. "The private sector is the engine of growth. Government certainly plays a central role,” Uhuru said. The President spoke in Mombasa on Wednesday during the Kenya-Uganda Business Forum that was also addressed by Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni. The forum, whose theme was 'Strengthening Economic and Trade Partnerships', was attended by Deputy President William Ruto. The forum was an opportunity to boost business, trade and investment between Kenya and Uganda. Uhuru said Kenya and Uganda enjoy thriving economic and trade relations.  Kenya’s value of total exports to Uganda stood at Sh61.8 billion in 2017 while the total bilateral trade was Sh103.8 billion, he said. "We therefore need to put together the necessary measures to enhance this partnership for the benefit of our people," the President said. Uhuru said Kenya and Uganda have resolved to partner in developing first class infrastructure under the framework of the Northern Corridor Integration Projects (NCIP). Museveni said it was clear that the private sector was the vehicle that would create wealth for the two countries. “It is this wealth which will create the much needed jobs in our two countries,” he said. He said for the private sector to operate successfully it needs a stable local and international markets, adding that the most important enabler for the both is good infrastructure. While assuring the private sector of cheaper...

At least four people are reported to have died, with hundreds hospitalized over complications associated with stomach pain, vomiting and diarrhoea after consuming a cereal supplied by the World Food Programme (WFP). The issue of food poisoning should not be treated as an isolated incident localised to Amudat or Uganda, East Africa and Africa. In 2009, hundreds of tonnes of maize and other assortments of genetically engineered foods were impounded in Mombasa, a lot of powdered milk and other relief items had been supplied as humanitarian aid, in what is today popularly known as the cancer belt of Kisumu. Attempts to explain away the damaging effects of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in Kisumu have taken other twists, most commonly that the people in the cancer belt of Kisumu ate maize contaminated by afflatoxins. Because of the high stakes and power of the actors, the Kisumu incident and that of the GMOs intercepted on Port Mombasa seem to have been swept under the carpet and life allowed to continue. A few years ago, there was a related incident in Haiti in which a number of people died of the same conditions similar to what has just happened in Amudat. The CNN blamed the cholera outbreak on the UN soldiers, effectively sweeping the real problem under the carpet in Haiti. The world of scientific literature is awash with research published in peer-reviewed journals indicating how cattle, pigs, rats, etc., have died soon after feeding on GMOs. It is imperative that rigorous tests...

Kenya's Uhuru Kenyatta and Yoweri Museveni of Uganda have renewed their efforts to promote trade and sustain peace between their two countries. Addressing a joint press briefing at State House Mombasa on Wednesday, the Presidents noted their desire for joint cooperation on the standard gauge railway and said a team would review the plan. Without giving details of the plan, President Museveni praised his counterpart on the rail transport initiative, saying it had prevented Uganda from suffering inconveniences. Mr Museveni said the SGR solved Uganda’s “perennial problems of delays” at the Mombasa port, where cargo is concerned. “Before Uhuru’s time, some people at the port thought they were doing Uganda some favour by clearing their cargo, not knowing they were sabotaging the economies of the two countries. But now we are celebrating the intervention by President Kenyatta,” he said. “With reinforcement for inter-land economy, we are looking forward to the extension of the SGR. I know that once completed it will take 24 hours to Kampala," he said. Mr Museveni added that the two countries would also work to reduce their trade deficits through import substitution and export promotion "to stop enriching foreign countries". Uganda is pushing for Kenya's commitment on the Kisumu-Malaba railway line so it can secure funding for its Kampala-Malaba line. Mr Kenyatta said the SGR had evidently improved cargo transportation from Mombasa to Nairobi and that he was eying the joint development of the line to Uganda's capital, Kampala. The two leaders will ride the SGR...

Speaking at State House during a joint press conference with President Uhuru Kenyatta, Museveni recalled that during previous administrations, port officers would drag their feet when handling goods destined for Uganda. He commended his counterpart for instituting corrective measures and streamlining systems at the port to ensure efficiency. "Before President Uhuru’s time some of the people at the port said they were doing Uganda a favor by handling our goods and so we had to come and beg them, Tafadhali, Please,tafadhali, tafadhali... "Not knowing they were sabotaging Uganda and at the same time Kenya," he stated. Museveni further noted that trade was growing between the East African countries and measures taken by Uhuru at the port were contributing factors to the growth. "The efficient handling of cargo in the port and the hinterland is good for the economy of Uganda and Kenya. The more business we do, the better for all of us," he stated. He added that the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) would reduce the transit time between Mombasa and Kampala to 24 hours. "In the coming years, a lot of cargo will move from the roads to the railway and fuel will move from the roads to the pipelines," he added. On his part, Uhuru affirmed his Ugandan counterpart's call for the need to strengthen ties within the region. "I believe the fruitful discussions our delegations have had will be work towards promoting trade, free movement of goods, services and people across our borders "We need to ensure we increase the number of boarders post along our...

The pledge by Presidents Uhuru Kenyatta and Yoweri Museveni, when they met in Mombasa on Wednesday, to enhance trade and co-operation between Kenya and Uganda is a major development in cementing ties between the neighbouring nations. We challenge them to follow that with tangible actions. This is because several such commitments have been made before at the bilateral or regional levels, but quickly discarded due to suspicion and mistrust. Moreover, the leaders of the various countries have the penchant for forming and breaking alliances all the time, keeping their populace guessing their every move. On paper, all six East African Community member states, including new entrant South Sudan, are determined to pursue common economic goals and collectively grow as a bloc. In reality, however, they tend to operate at cross-purposes. MIGINGO Kenya and Uganda have vexed issues that have remained unresolved for years. For one, they are entangled in a bitter struggle over the tiny Migingo Island on Lake Victoria and, despite several attempts at resolving it, including creating an inter-ministerial task force, little has been achieved. On Wednesday, the matter once again came up during the meeting, at which the presidents announced a joint commission to tackle the dispute and develop a framework for sustainable fishing on Lake Victoria. At the centre of the conflict is resource extraction — fishing — with each country claiming ownership of the island that is a vintage launching pad for expeditions on the lake. This dispute must be resolved and residents allowed to...

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni on Wednesday called on East African countries to buy products made from the region to minimize importation of goods that can be manufactured locally. Museveni, who is on a two-day state visit to Kenya, said that countries are losing millions of dollars from importation of goods because of giant factories in East Africa which have since broken down. He called on Kenya to fast-rack revival of Webuye Paper Mill which was critical in supplying paper products in East Africa. Museveni said that his country imports paper worth 13 billion shillings (130 million U.S. dollars) from Finland, yet Kenya has a sleeping paper mill. "It must be stopped. Why doesn't Uganda buy paper from Kenya?. We have to stop enriching others," he told a joint news conference with Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta in the port city of Mombasa. "When the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) is finished, it will take 24 hours from here to Kampala... This should have been done before and there's no other way these countries' economies are going to grow if we don't solve this issue of movement," said Museveni. He pointed out that the enhanced efficiency in handling of cargo at the port and in the movement of goods along the Northern Corridor has been of great benefit to the economies of both Kenya and Uganda, and for the other countries that depend on the Port of Mombasa for their import and export business, including Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic...

Ugandan and Kenyan traders will be the biggest beneficiaries after their two countries yesterday signed a raft of agreements meant to ease trade, cement political ties and improve their social/cultural connections. The colourful signing ceremony, conducted at the Kenyan coastal city of Mombasa, was witnessed by President Museveni and his counterpart Uhuru Kenyatta. President Museveni, who arrived in Mombasa straight from Johannesburg in South Africa where he had been attending the Saharawi Solidarity Summit, is in Kenya on a three-day state visit on the invitation of President Kenyatta. The agreements, clustered into three major categories; defence, trade and social affairs, focus on not only easing means of doing business between the two countries but also resolve some of the sticking issues that have hampered trade. For example, the pacts direct Kenya to consider increase of its sugar quota imported from Uganda from the current 36,000 tonnes to 90,000 tonnes. Uganda has been tasked to formally lodge a request to this effect that would create market for at least 54,000 metric tonnes of its surplus 90,000 metric tonnes it produces annually. On the other hand, beef exporters in Kenya can expect to tap into the Uganda market after the latter was directed to lift its ban on beef and beef products from Kenya with immediate effect. The poultry industry in Uganda will also have reason to smile after Kenya agreed to lift the ban on poultry products from Uganda within a week, dependent on Ugandan authorities furnishing them with necessary information...

The East African Court of Justice has ruled that Uganda violated the East African Community Treaty when it introduced excise duty on cigarette imports from East Africa. The Ugandan government was particularly found to have breached both the Customs Union and Common Market protocols. The court ruled yesterday that the decision by Uganda, through its tax authorities, to impose excise duty on cigarettes manufactured and imported from Kenya was in violation of the terms of the bloc’s integration. The case had been filed by regional cigarette manufacturer, BAT. By treating the cigarettes in question as imports as opposed to locally manufactured – as was the case prior to June 2017 – the products were attracting excise duty at high rates. The court, which sits in Arusha, Tanzania, ruled that the re-classification and misconstruction as ‘imported goods”, contravened and infringed on Customs Union and Common Market protocols which allow for free movement of goods across the six EAC member countries. The four-judge bench instructed that the Government of Uganda to ensure the interpretation and application of Excise Duty Act with due regard and in compliance with applicable Community Law and to align the Ugandan tax laws with Community Law applicable to goods from EAC Partner States. Established under Article 9 of the Treaty for the Establishment of the East African Community, East African Court of Justice is one of the EAC organs. Source: The New Times

Ugandan leader cagey on building a standard gauge railway between Malaba and Kampala. Kenya and Uganda will set up more border posts to facilitate faster movement of people and goods. Speaking at a joint press briefing after holding bilateral talks with his Ugandan counterpart Yoweri Museveni in Mombasa yesterday, President Uhuru Kenyatta said increasing border posts would boost trade between the two East African countries. “We have agreed to open more border posts along the common border to facilitate movement of people and goods,” he said. To this end, Uhuru and Museveni agreed to remove trade barriers. “There is no other way our economies will grow if we won’t solve the hurdles on the movement of cargo and people,” said Museveni. Uhuru sought Museveni's commitment that the two countries would implement joint infrastructure projects. "We want Uganda to join us in joint development infrastructure projects to ensure the line (Standard Gauge Railway) moves to Kampala as initially envisioned," said Uhuru. However, the Ugandan leader was cagey on construction of the standard Gauge Railway. Ugandan firm uses blockchain to trace coffee from farms Uganda is refurbishing the old railway line between Kampala and Malaba as “an alternative” to lower transport costs for traders. Museveni said talks on joint infrastructure projects and trade barriers were “at initial stages" but reaffirmed that Uganda was for “a cheaper, faster and safer" transport system. "We have had fruitful and profitable deliberations. We have covered a lot of ground," he said. “I’m told that once the SGR reaches Malaba, it...

Rwandan President Paul Kagame said while opening the Africa CEO Forum at the Kigali Convention Center in Rwanda that 21 countries had ratified the Continental Free Trade Area. Ethiopia last week took the agreement through Parliament, becoming the 21st country to do so. For the trade deal that would create a market of $3 trillion and a market of 1.2 billion people with no tariff and border restrictions to be enforceable, 22 countries are required to ratify. The deal was negotiated over two years before being signed in Kigali last year. In panel discussions, President Kagame said political will was key to resolving challenges that confront regional economic groups. ‘CFTA does not solve problems people have to make it work,” the President said in reaction to suggestions that countries were hesitant to ratify because past experiences with integration such as dumping. “What is important is that the benefits of other arrangements and CFTA are not being questioned. It’s the only way to maximize on benefits such as job creation for the continent. Political will must come first as it allows things that must work to work,” President Kagame said. The seventh edition of The Africa CEO Forum opened with four Presidents and three other heads of government fervently calling for leading decision makers to help realize the ambition of CFTA. More than 1800 business and political leaders are in attendance. They are led by President Kagame, Ethiopian President Sahle-Work Zewde, Democratic republic of Congo President Felix Tshisekedi and Togo President...