Kenya and Uganda on Wednesday signed eight new bilateral memoranda of understanding (MoUs) aimed at deepening cooperation across critical sectors and building on 17 existing agreements. The signing ceremony, held in Nairobi, was witnessed by visiting Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni and Kenyan President William Ruto comes after Kenya’s trade tiff with Tanzania.

President Ruto said the agreements reflect the two countries’ commitment to translating regional cooperation into tangible outcomes for their citizens. One of the key deals signed was a partnership between the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics and the Uganda National Bureau of Statistics, intended to promote scientific and technical collaboration.

“We reaffirmed our united stance on closer collaboration in key sectors such as infrastructure, trade, energy, security, and regional integration,” Ruto said.

President Museveni emphasized the importance of leveraging Africa’s market potential, calling on young people to focus on the production of goods and services as the cornerstone of modern economies.

Regional integration

They reiterated their commitment to regional institutions and advancing the objectives of the East African Community (EAC), including progress toward a customs union, common market,  andmonetary union.

The two leaders stressed the link between security and sustainable development. They praised ongoing peacebuilding efforts and agreed to work together on conflict resolution, with an emphasis on inclusive processes supported by regional and international frameworks.

“We further agreed to collaborate closely in conflict resolution efforts, advocating inclusive approaches,” said Ruto.

The meeting took place a day after Tanzania imposed new restrictions on certain Kenyan businesses operating in the country, escalating regional trade tensions.

Both leaders expressed concern over non-tariff barriers that continue to obstruct trade flows and undermine regional integration goals.