The recent state visit by Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta served to keep communication lines open between our two nations, which is critical for our mutual economic and development fortunes. While here, he discussed progress on key infrastructure projects such as the oil pipeline and the standard gauge railway that the two countries are committed to developing. The oil pipeline will help both countries evacuate our oil in coming years while the railway line will reduce transportation costs on the key route to the sea for the two countries. By accident of history, our two countries are bound together at the hip and despite past attempts to force a wedge between us, the mutual interests of our peoples mean we have always found a way to resolve our differences. Ever since the British got it in their heads that they needed to control the source of River Nile for strategic purposes, our two countries have become each other's largest trading partner. During the hard 1970s and 80s, many Ugandans sought refuge in our eastern neighbour and recently, after the post-election violence in 2007-08, some Kenyans fled here for safety. A few days ago, Kenyatta, in defending an initiative to import sugar from Uganda, reported that his country exports $700m worth of goods to Uganda while importing goods worth $150m from the same. He argued that he would rather import sugar from Uganda than from Brazil if we (Uganda) have the surplus to bridge their shortfall. At the Uganda National Chamber of...

Consumers in Uganda have nowhere to legally turn to even in the face of excessive exploitation, thanks to the absence of a competition law which trade analysts say is important in shielding the unsuspecting population from unduly being taken advantage of. Despite the private sector persistent call for the legislation, considering its importance in regulating unfair trade practices, the government does not seem to take heed as the proposed competition law continues to gather dust between the ministries of trade corridor and the cabinet shelf. To safeguard the interest of the consumers against market distortions by selfish, profit-driven organisations and individuals, a cross section of trade analysts and regional Non-Governmental Organisations advocating for fair trade wants to see a formation of a regional authority that would regulate unfair business practices. In training workshop recently organised by SEATINI Uganda in partnership with CUTS and with support from Trade mark East Africa (TMA), experts on competition related matters said with the growth of cross-border trade, it is prudent to establish a regional authority that will regulate inevitable unfair trade tendencies. "Due to anticompetitive practices in the region, the EAC might be prone to restrictive business practices. This is because regional integration has ushered in regional and international players with some experience in violating competition laws in their areas of origin," Mr Cornelius Dube, an expert on competition and related laws said during the training. He continued: "The cut-throat competition in the breweries, cement, banking, telecommunications and airlines sectors might have ushered in...

Selfish interests and failure to adopt policies agreed upon by the east African Community member states are some of the road blocks to the economic empowerment of the region. It has emerged that though member states have good investment policies aimed at boosting their economies, such policies are yet to be adopted at the regional level. The East African Legislative Assembly wants a regional investment policy to allow the region push in the same direction on investment issues. Source: NTV UG

The three-day visit of Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta to his counterpart in Uganda, President Yoweri Museveni, has led the two countries to agree on a number of trade and oil deals that have sparked controversy in Kenya. One of the most significant agreements involves the ambitious construction of a 1500km-long pipeline which could turn East Africa into a significant oil exporting region. The pipeline’s path had been disputed for a year, but it has now been agreed to include Kenya, Uganda, South Sudan, and potentially Ethiopia, and will be part of the bigger Lamu Port Southern Sudan-Ethiopia Transport Corridor. As a condition to the path’s agreement, Kenya has had to take on the project’s financing and securities guarantees, due to the uncertainty of the project’s results and concerns over Al-Shabaab’s terrorist activities in northern Kenya. “The pipeline route was not Uganda’s preferred route. The agreed route is longer and untested against the southern route that would have followed an existing pipeline route,” says Jubril Adedayo Kareem, energy research analyst at Ecobank. “The waxy nature of tested crude from Kenya means the pipeline will have to be heated above 40 degrees Celsius. This specific requirement further complicates the project as a heated pipeline of such length has never been attempted in the world, which means the Kenya section of the pipeline will be longer, much more complicated and more expensive. Uganda is only trying to protect itself by requesting for such guarantees,” he explains. It remains unclear which companies will become...

WOMEN entrepreneurs in the region will use the second East Africa Community Women in Business conference that opens today in Nairobi, to explore opportunities offered by the Single Customs Territory, the EAC secretariat has said According to the Arusha based office, the conference on the role of women in socio-economic development and business will also explore openings in the common market. The two-day conference themed "Advancing and expanding the participation of business women in intra-EAC trade", targets 350 women entrepreneurs and exhibitors from the region. “Among other outputs, the second EAC conference is expected to identify sources of affordable financing for women in business and recommend a way forward,” said EAC. It will also be used to strengthen and expand the network of women in business. Source: The Star

THE Kenya-Uganda sugar talks focussed on setting up a regional board to curb perennial shortage of the commodity in East Africa, Foreign Affairs Cabinet secretary Amina Mohammed said yesterday. She maintained Kenya did not sign any deal on importation of sugar and promised the government will today publish full details of the trade talks in Uganda. “The proposed East Africa Sugar Board will ensure that all sugar that is produced in the region can be sold within the region,” she said on the sidelines of the Japan investment forum in Nairobi. Contradictions abound over the Kenya-Uganda trade talks during President Uhuru Kenyatta's official visit to the country sparking a war of words political between the government and the opposition leaders who are against the 'sugar deal'. According to the CS, the existing sugar safeguards expire in February 2016 opening trade for sugar exports among member states. However the sugar industry will enjoy protection from the enactment of the Finance Bill 2015 that will increase import duty from $200 per tonne to $460 per tonne, specific tax and a 100 per cent ad valorem tax. The Kenya National Chambers of Commerce and Industry chairman Kiprono Kittony said the political heat is bad for the sugar industry adding the prolonged sugar protectionism has caused inefficiencies and a sluggish improvement of the sector. “We need to depoliticise the sugar industry because politics will not improve the sector. While protection during the budget 2015/2016 safeguards since 2002 seem not to yield faster results towards...

Two recent bilateral trade deals, one unveiled early this week between Uganda and Kenya and the other, negotiated late last month between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have been lauded by experts as a step in the right direction towards deepening intra-regional trade. Kenya will once again start accepting sugar exports from Uganda, a deal signed by President Uhuru Kenyatta and his counterpart, Yoweri Museveni, during the former’s three-day state visit to Kampala. Source: Eatradehub.org

Arusha — The 2nd EAC Conference on the Role of Women in Socio-Economic Development and in Business is set for 20th - 21st August, 2015 at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre in Nairobi, Kenya. The overall goal of the Conference is for women in business in the East African region to come together to network and explore the opportunities offered by the EAC Single Customs Territory and the Common Market as well as exchange ideas on ways and means of increasing affordable financing for women owned businesses. The two-day Conference which is being held under the theme Advancing and Expanding the Participation of Business Women in Intra-EAC Trade, targets about 350 women entrepreneurs and exhibitors from diverse sectors in the entire region. Participants at the conference will consist of Women Entrepreneurs/Exhibitors, East African Women in Business Platform and East African Business Council representatives, Civil Society Organizations, MPs from the East African Legislative Assembly, and representatives from line ministries in the Partner States. The main activities at the conference will include keynote speeches from inspiring business women within EAC, panel discussions, breakaway parallel workshops, exhibitions and networking opportunities. Among other outputs, the 2nd EAC Conference on the Role of Women in Socio-Economic Development and Women in Business is expected to identify sources of affordable financing for women in business and recommend a way forward, strengthen and expand the Network of the East African Women in Business Platform and draft a Conference Report with an Action Plan to implement existing EAC Policy...

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) have been challanged to step up their potentials and tap into the East African Community (EAC) where majority of products are imported from overseas. The East African Community market has an assured boasts of 159 million people and a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of over 100bn/-, Felix Mosha, former East African Business Council Chairman said over the weekend in Dar es Salaam. He was speaking during an award winning ceremony of the 2015/16 Top 100 mid-sized companies sponsored by Bank M Tanzania. The event saw Softnet Technologies Ltd announced victorious in this year’s statewide survey. According to Mosha, the country has small and medium industries but they mostly focus on the domestic market. “SMEs need to develop strategies on how to target where there is hot demand for the products,” he urged. Ketan Shah, KPMG Tanzania Partner announced this year’s top five companies as Softnet Technologies Ltd, Morogoro Plastics Ltd, Kays Logistics Ltd, Abacus Pharma Ltd and Techno Brain Tanzania Ltd. “The annual survey covers a broad range of factors including high level of growth in term of business turnover, profitability, operating costs, return on assets, creation of employment and compliance to business regulations including payment of government taxes." “These awards have created vast opportunities for the participants, and majority of the companies have gradually succeeded in growing their market share through public awareness of their products and services,” he concluded. Bank M, Deputy CEO Jacqueline Woiso expressed the Bank’s satisfaction in the partnership with...

Construction of northern corridor that has cost $440 million (Sh.44billion) will be completed in December giving a boost to trade between Kenya and landlocked countries of Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi. According to Kenya National Highways Authority the multi-billion World Bank funded roads improvement under the Northern Corridor Transport Improvement Project (NTCIP) is geared towards facilitating movements of goods and services in the region. The second component of the project is upgrade of airports and building capacity of Kenya Civil Aviation Authority which will take up $60million (Sh6billion) making the total project amount $500 million (Sh50 billion). EASE CONGESTION The Northern Corridor starts from the Port of Mombasa to Malaba border post, with Uganda and is expected to ease congestion of major roads along the corridor increasing efficiency of road transport facilitating trade and regional integration. “So far rehabilitation works of Maji ya Chumvi – Miritini road, Sultan Hamud – Machakos Turnoff, Lanet – Njoro, Njoro Turnoff – Timboroa, Mau Summit – Kericho, Kericho – Nyamasaria, Nyamasaria – Kisumu Airport including the Kisumu Bypass and the ongoing rehabilitation of Kisumu Airport – Kisian Road have been done,” said acting general manager incharge of special projects at Kenha, Mr David Muchilwa. Other facilities that have been improved are truck parking bay in Nyamasaria and Chepson. FEASIBILITY STUDIES Connecting feeder roads that include Kibwezi – Kitui – Mwingi – Maua - Isiolo road and Lakeside Tanzania – Narok road are also in line of construction with financing of consultancy services for the design...