Uganda and Kenya have agreed to eliminate all tariff and non-tariff barriers that have long frustrated trade between the two countries.
The resolution was reached during a bilateral meeting between Uganda’s State Minister for Trade, Gen. Wilson Mbasu Mbadi, and Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Trade, Lee Kinyanjui, held at Mbale Resort Hotel from August 29 to 30, 2025.
Under the agreement, products originating from either country will now be treated as transfers rather than imports and will no longer attract duties. Both governments also committed to scrapping discriminatory excise taxes, levies, and charges of equivalent effect.
“The two sides agreed to fully implement all trade-related commitments under the EAC Treaty and Protocols,” the ministers said in a joint communiqué.
Ahead of the talks, the ministers toured the Malaba and Busia border points, where they met border agencies to address persistent challenges such as congestion and long truck queues.
The move is expected to boost cross-border trade, reduce costs for businesses, and strengthen regional integration within the East African Community.
