Uganda lifts ban on beef imports from Kenya, augments sugar exports, allocates land to build dry port

Uganda’s President, Yoweri Museveni and his Kenyan counterpart, Uhuru Kenyatta met in Mombasa on Wednesday, March 27 to discuss the bilateral trade and cooperation between two countries.

Kenya’s President, Uhuru Kenyatta has said that Uganda would be allocating land in Naivasha to construct a dry port for its cargo, thereby easing the cost of transporting goods between two nations. The proposal of offering the land is a part of the joint Standard Gauge Railway project push between Kenya and Uganda.

Whereas, Uganda’s Head of State Yoweri Museveni has stated that the country’s sugar exports to neighbouring Kenya would augment. He has also stated that Uganda would resume exportation of poultry products to Kenya.

“I have confirmed to President Museveni that with that development in Naivasha and then moving the SGR to Malaba, goods will be able to move from Mombasa to Malaba in just two days,” Uhuru Kenyatta said.

“I also gladly look forward to using the train on the Standard Gauge Railway from Mombasa to Nairobi tomorrow. It should take me only four hours on a journey of over 480kms. Apparently, I will be the first visiting head of state to use this facility. I am honoured,” Yoweri Museveni tweeted.

Kenya previously halted the importation of poultry and its products from Uganda when local dealers sought ‘protection’ from the government of Kenya. Uganda also prohibited the importation of beef from Kenya in 1997 with a claim that Kenyan beef might not have attained required standards to be imported, mainly after the spreading of mad cow disease among the Kenyan cows.

However, following the recent discussions between two presidents, the bans from both the countries have been lifted immediately. Now both the countries have solved those issues that had remained unsolved for years.

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