Uganda cabinet bans Kenya agricultural products from her domestic market

Neighbouring country Uganda’s cabinet has passed a proposal to restrict agricultural products from Kenya in their domestic market.

The agreement by the Ugandan cabinet to restrict Kenyan products comes even as President Yoweri Museveni is opposed to the idea.

The move is deemed a response to Kenya’s continued ban on some Ugandan Products.

Uganda’s Minister for East Africa Affairs Rebecca Kadaga said the Ugandan cabinet has directed its Ministry of Agriculture to identify and list particular products that Uganda will ban from Kenya.

Kadaga added Uganda has been too patient with reciprocating Kenya’s ban and it was time for Kenya to experience the same.

“We have been too patient. In the past, we have not reciprocated, but now we are going to. This has gone on for too long and within a short time they too will understand what we are going through,” Kadaga said.

Trade between Kenya and her neighbour Uganda has been facing some strife for a long time.

Kenya’s move to ban some Ugandan products from its markets compounded this.

One such product is a particular brand of milk called Lato in December 2019.

The ban on Ugandan sugar followed this in July 2020, although there was a prior agreement to increase Uganda’s sugar exports to Kenya.

Kenya also banned Uganda’s poultry products from its market for almost a year now, which has seen Ugandan poultry farmers complain and petition their government over the ban.

Kenya issued those bans on claims that some products of Uganda do not reach the threshold of standards available in Kenya therefore it called for protecting the local market from substandard products.

Kenya happens to be Uganda’s biggest trade partner and experts have warned that the current impasse between the two neighbouring countries is likely to disturb imports and exports across East Africa.

According to observers, the restrictions contravene the East African Community (EAC) single market’s Customs Union Protocol.