The Kenyan government has announced an immediate ban on sugar imports from both East Africa and the rest of the world, raising concerns about potential violations of the East African Community (EAC) Common Market Protocol.
This unexpected decision is likely to strain trade relations within the region and could have significant implications for the sugar industry across East Africa.
According to softpower.ug, under the EAC Common Market Protocol, Partner States’ markets are integrated into a single market enabling free movement of capital, labor, goods and services.
However, Kenya’s Agriculture Ministry Principal Secretary, Kipronoh Ronoh, on August 13 directed the Director General of Agriculture and Food Authority, Bruno Linyiru, to block sugar imports into Kenya.
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“Following the ongoing reforms in the sugar industry, indications are that there is adequate production of sugar in the country. For instance, in both the months of June and July 2024, there has been a significant improvement of local sugar production in a record high of a monthly average of 75,500 and 80,500 MT sugar production respectively, exceeding the local consumption by 4000 MT of sugar.
The ongoing revival of all the mills will further accelerate growth of the Industry and lift the economies of the communities farming sugarcane,” he said.
He argued that in order to sustain this trajectory, “there is need to protect the industry through stoppage of sugar importation.“
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He added, “The stoppage of import is intended to accelerate the growth of the local sugar industry and improve sugarcane grower’s earnings. In this regard, you are required to enforce stoppage of brown/table sugar and apprise this office on the matter. You are required to work with other relevant agencies along the borders to particularly raided illegal imports.”
Uganda’s sugar production is expected to increase from 440,000 tons in 2023 to 540,000 tons in 2024.
This is not the first time Kenya is banning Agricultural Imports from the neighboring countries. The country enjoys pingpong games whenever they seem to have a surplus of goods in their markets.
Last year, there was outrage amongst Ugandan exporters after Kenya imposed a ban on Uganda’s Maize and Poultry products.
However, this was later resolved following a meeting between the Ugandan President and his Kenyan Counterpart.
