Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has reiterated Uganda’s commitment to maintaining regional integration and trade ties.
While giving his new years address, Museveni noted that his administration will be engaging with Kenya and other countries in the region in negotiations to address trade issues.
The Ugandan President acknowledged concerns by businesspeople in the country calling for adoption of restrictions in a bid to protect local traders.
In particular, the long-serving leader recalled a time when businesspeople in the country pressured him to ban rice imports from neighboring Tanzania in favor of Ugandan rice.
“About a year ago, I had to kill the unholy idea of banning Tanzanian rice,” Museveni said in his speech.
“Why ban Tanzanian rice? It was because it was cheaper than the Ugandan rice produced by swamp destroyers.”
However, a firm President Museveni maintained that his government would not give in to the pressure despite other nations adopting restrictions.
Further, he recalled a time when Kenya had closed its borders for trade but instead of retaliation, he chose dialogue to resolve the conflict.
Similarly, he noted that dialogue with President William Ruto would ensure a conducive environment for trade between the two nations.
“In the early years of our Government, Mzee Moi, at one time, closed the border, but I rejected the arguments for retaliation,” stated Museveni.
Museveni to engage Ruto, EAC leaders
According to him, Uganda’s trade volumes in the region have grown over time due to his government’s diplomatic approach in trade matters.
In his statement, the President vowed to continue discussing with EAC nations in efforts to realize a free market.
“Rationality cannot be ignored indefinitely,” he said.
“We shall continue discussing with our EAC Partners and, I am sure, we shall end up with a real common market, free of non-tariff barriers because those barriers hurt the wananchi of all our countries.
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His statement came on the back of recent tensions and policies adopted by countries in the EAC in a bid to protect local traders.
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In 2023, for instance, Kenya banned importation of milk powder from Uganda- a move that affected dairy producers in the country and the overall trade ties.
Reacting to the ban, Brookside Uganda issued a redundancy notice to its employees noting that the market restrictions had affected its operations.
