Trade Cabinet Secretary Lee Kinyanjui has confirmed the removal of trade barriers between Kenya and Uganda following a high-level meeting with Uganda’s Minister for Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, Gen. Wilson Mbadi.

In a statement issued after the meeting on Saturday, August 30, 2025, the CS announced that both countries had reached a joint agreement to eliminate the barriers that have long affected cross-border trade.

He emphasised that the move is aimed at easing the movement of goods and people between the two nations in line with the East African Community (EAC) Treaties and Protocols.

“Today, with Uganda’s Minister for Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, Hon. Gen. Wilson Mbadi, we issued a joint communiqué on resolved trade barriers between Kenya and Uganda. Kenya and Uganda reached a joint agreement to remove the trade barriers and ease the movement of goods and people across their borders, in line with the East African Community (EAC) Treaties and Protocols.” Lee Kinyanjui stated.

The talks, which were held in Mbale, Uganda, also focused on urgent measures to decongest trucks at key border points.

“In the meeting held in Mbale, Uganda, we also agreed on urgent measures to decongest trucks at key border points,” he added.

The ministers agreed to implement strategies that will improve efficiency at the borders, a move expected to reduce delays and enhance the flow of goods across the two countries.

This development comes after directives from President William Ruto and President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, who tasked their respective ministers with the responsibility of resolving bottlenecks that have been stifling trade between the two countries.

Museveni’s visit to Kenya

This also comes days after President Yoweri Museveni’s state visit to Kenya on July 30, 2025, which aimed to strengthen bilateral ties and address critical regional issues through high-level discussions with President William Ruto.

The primary objectives were to enhance cooperation in trade, security, and infrastructure while also resolving ongoing challenges such as border disputes, particularly over Migingo Island, and promoting legitimate commerce to counter illicit trade.

The visit sought to advance East African Community (EAC) integration through the signing of eight memoranda of understanding covering sectors such as fisheries, statistics, tourism, agriculture, and transport, with a focus on projects like the Busia Metro and the Nairobi-Nakuru-Malaba Highway.

In addition, Museveni delivered a public lecture at the National Defence College, where he emphasised pan-African unity, intra-African trade, and youth involvement in economic transformation. The visit was positioned as a step toward collective prosperity and regional stability amidst both global and local tensions.