Traffic jams and delays at East African border points may soon become a thing of the past as Kenya and other East African Community (EAC) member states work to fast-track trade activities through upgraded customs systems and infrastructure.

The recently enhanced Single Customs Territory (SCT) Centralised Platform is a key innovation that facilitates real-time data exchange at border points, helping to eliminate delays traditionally associated with customs clearance. It is expected to increase trading activities among member states, bolstering regional economic growth.

The establishment of over 15 One-Stop Border Posts (OSBPs) has already demonstrated significant impact, reducing border crossing times by 70 per cent and generating annual savings of over $63 million (Sh8.12 billion) for EAC countries.

These OSBPs combine the functions of two countries’ border operations into one facility, significantly cutting down processing times and improving trade efficiency.

The platform is designed to streamline the exchange of customs and trade data among Partner States’ Customs and Ports Authorities. By enabling seamless, real-time sharing of information, the platform addresses common cross-border trade challenges, including non-tariff barriers, high transaction costs, and inefficiencies.

Veronica Nduva, EAC Secretary General explained that enabling real-time sharing of customs information, the platform augments regional efforts to address challenges such as delays in customs clearance, non-tariff barriers, high transaction costs, and inefficiencies in cross-border trade. The platform’s development received support from the UK and the Netherlands, which introduced scanner image-sharing capabilities between Kenya and Uganda in 2024.

This innovation enhances transparency in customs processes, further streamlining trade across the region and fostering stronger trade relations among EAC nations. “We have worked closely with Partner States, development partners, and trade facilitation agencies such as Trademark Africa to realise these gains,” Nduva stated.

“Besides the Centralised Platform, other initiatives in physical infrastructure and digital trade have positively impacted the time and cost of cross-border trade,” she added in a statement.

The EAC is optimistic that the upgraded SCT platform, coupled with investments in both digital and physical trade infrastructure, will enhance efficiency, transparency, and regional economic integration. Currently, the customs systems of Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Burundi, according to the EAC secretariat, are interconnected through the Centralized Platform with Kenya and Tanzania ports authorities already being connected to it.

Also, plans to integrate other Partner States as well as other key agencies involved in clearance of goods into the platform are underway. Meanwhile trade activities in the region continue to be hampered by the long clearance processes at the border points resulting in slow trading activities and losses resulting from extra storage costs and goods becoming obsolete.

Apart from this, other non-tariff barriers such as regulations and the proof of country of origin can be accessed through the platform enabling traders have a prior knowledge of what is required of them hence reducing the clogging at the border points.

During his African Union Chairmanship debate last December, Raila Odinga, the former African union (AU) High Representative for Infrastructure Development in Africa, stated that this clogging if well addressed could lead to the economic growth of not only the community but also the entire continent.

“The non-tariff barriers to trade that have been imposed by respective African countries, things like standards which are different from one country to the other are making it difficult for goods to move freely across the borders,” he explained.