Museveni and Ruto discuss trade, security

Kenya President William Ruto made an unannounced visit yesterday to his Ugandan counterpart, President Museveni, a week after he approved the blocking of Ugandan milk.

He alleged that the milk was being imported from outside the region into Uganda.

The two heads of State held a closed door meeting at State House Entebbe and talked about trade between the two countries and regional security.

The Senior President Press Secretary Sandor Walusimbi said the meeting was closed door between the two leaders, adding that they talked about bilateral issues, trade and regional security.

“It was a closed door meeting. They talked about bilateral relations, trade and regional security,” Mr Walusimbi said last evening without giving specific issues of what was discussed.

Both East African leaders didn’t disclose more than that in their releases.

The trade relationship between Uganda and Kenya has been worsening after Kenyan authorities blocked the importation of Uganda’s powdered milk to their market.

Last week, President Ruto, while addressing the media in Mt Kenya region, Kenya, said Kenyan companies, which he didn’t name, import powdered milk to Uganda then process it to be able to access the Kenyan market.

“Because of EAC (East African Community) business, we have put in place Africa Continental Free Trade Areas. There is milk with the friend [Uganda], it is not milk from their farms, it is milk from abroad, taken to this friend and improved. The people doing this job is a company based in Kenya, so they want to use the advantage of friendship.

“We closed the powder milk before our milk is bought from our farmers. But Because of ujanja (cunningness), they take milk to the friend and plan a backdoor. Because we respect the market of EAC and Africa, this market should be for your cows and not going abroad to buy milk and you improve it and sell to us.

‘‘We have refused this border milk, we have refused taking milk to Uganda, improving it, and bringing it to Kenya,” President Ruto said while speaking in Kiswahili.

Brookside Limited, a company owned by the former President of Kenya Uhuru Kenyatta has a big stake in Uganda’s milk industry and was one of the most affected companies by the blockage.  The company has also cut jobs after the loss of the Kenyan market.

The Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Mr Frank Tumwebaze, using his social media accounts, refuted the allegations that Uganda imports powdered milk and then processes it for the regional market.

“[I] am really shocked that this fake claim is being brought up once again. During the time of Hon @AKyambadde (Amelia Kyambadde) as [former] trade minister and)her [then] Kenya counterpart Hon Betty Maina, teams to verify these claims were put in place after a meeting of the two Presidents.

“The verification teams found it to be baseless. I really think that H.E Ruto should check on his people trading this same fake story to him! [It is] not good at all for our long-time relations,” Mr Tumwebaze said.

In January 2023, President Ruto sent a special message and it was delivered by his Cabinet Secretary for Investment, Trade and Industry, Mr Moses Kuria, to President Museveni where he allowed free access of Ugandan milk and chicken products to the Kenyan market.

Mr Museveni responded that “I am very happy. I thank President Ruto for opening the market for milk, chicken and eggs”.

He had expressed concern about the blocking of Uganda’s milk in Kenya, but ruled out retaliatory action, saying they aren’t good for the development of the regional block.

Months later, Ugandan milk was blocked by Kenyan authority.  On the security issues, Uganda and Kenya have deployed troops in the eastern DR Congo and they are engaging the Congolese government and M23 rebels to end the fighting.

Last weekend, President Museveni and Mr Uhuru, the facilitator of the EAC-led peace process in DR Congo, met M23 leaders at State House in Entebbe.

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