Kenya and Tanzania seem to be engaging in ever escalating trade wars, banning certain products from accessing one another’s markets.
However,Uganda will now be able to export her sugar, sunflower and soya to Tanzania freely, following a top officials’ meeting from the two governments.
In a statement, Uganda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the products would be granted a preferential treatment after meeting East Africa Community (EAC) Rules of Origin.
Uganda had been accused of importing the aforementioned products, repackaging them and then exporting the same to her neighbours.
However, the verification also found that palm edible oils does not meet EAC Rules of Origin.
In September last year, the Kenyan government was accused of barring rice from Tanzania from accessing her market over claims of standards and packaging.
Before that, Tanzania had banned confectioneries from Kenya from entering her market on grounds that they were manufactured with raw materials that were not from member states of the EAC.
In August, President John Magufuli’s government blocked Brookside Dairy and 19 other Kenyan companies from accessing the Tanzanian market.
Before this, the Tanzanian government announced a blanket ban on Kenyan carrots, in a bid to protect local producers from competition.
“During the harvesting period, carrots are imported from the neighbouring country, but by the power I have been given by the president, not a single carrot will be imported into the district,” said Arumeru District Commissioner Jerry Muro.
The stalemate between the two largest economies in East African has remained despite several agreements being signed.
In what looked like an extension of the war, 16 fishermen from Tanzania were arrested in Migori for trespassing, barely a few weeks after 36 Kenyan fishermen were arrested and detained by the Tanzania authorities for alleged trespass.