According to Monitor on September 2nd, the Ugandan government and the Kenyan government have signed a free trade agreement aimed at eliminating trade barriers and promoting economic cooperation. The agreement was officially signed last Friday, with the goal of increasing bilateral trade, promoting investment, and driving economic growth in the region. This agreement follows the instructions given by President Museveni and Kenyan President Dr. William Samoi Ruto at their bilateral meeting held in Nairobi, Kenya on July 30-31. The directive requires the ministers responsible for trade from both countries to hold a meeting to address all trade barriers between the two countries, including congestion along major trade corridors (especially Malabar and Busia), as well as tariff and non-tariff barriers. Shortly after the agreement was signed in Mbale City, Mr. Lee Kinyanjui, the Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry of Kenya, stated that the two sides had reached a consensus to eliminate all trade barriers between the two countries.
