Busia: Preparations for the establishment of the Busia Jumuiya Cross-Border Market are at an advanced stage, with the national government expressing confidence that the facility will transform Busia into a regional commercial hub and enhance cross-border trade within the East African Community (EAC). The announcement was made during a sensitization forum for cross-border traders on the East African Community trade regime held in Busia on Wednesday.
According to Kenya News Agency, in a speech read on behalf of the Principal Secretary for East African Community Affairs, Dr. Carolyne Karugu, by the director in the State Department for EAC, Mr. Musa Okwemba, the PS emphasized that the government was implementing a directive to establish Jumuiya markets along Kenya’s border points to facilitate trade among EAC member states. The PS noted that the Busia Jumuiya Market would serve as the pilot center and would provide modern and well-equipped facilities to support Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in undertaking cross-border trade.
The government is also focused on strengthening regional integration by establishing regional integration centers at major border posts and deploying regional integration officers to ensure the effective implementation of EAC commitments. Dr. Karugu highlighted various trade facilitation instruments developed by the EAC to ease cross-border business for traders, which include the EAC Simplified Guide for MSMEs, the EAC Simplified Trade Regime (STR), the annual EAC MSMEs Trade Fair, One Stop Border Posts (OSBPs), and ongoing efforts to eliminate non-tariff trade barriers across the region.
Busia County Executive Committee Member for Trade, Olekachuna Omuse, welcomed the sensitization forum, noting that it would help traders better understand the opportunities available under the simplified trade regime while encouraging the use of official border crossing points. He emphasized the need for capacity building and the establishment of an information center at the border to ensure traders receive accurate information, thereby reducing misinformation that often leads to difficulties in conducting cross-border business.
Omuse also highlighted ongoing investments aimed at promoting value addition and expanding trade in Busia County, noting that the county was among the 12 selected to host an Export Processing Zone and the County Aggregation and Industrial Park (CAIP). These projects, nearly 90 percent complete, aim to promote the consumption of locally produced goods through value addition.
Despite welcoming the government’s initiatives, traders used the forum to raise concerns over challenges affecting cross-border trade. Peter Ojera, Secretary General of the Kenya International Freight and Warehousing Association (KIFWA) Busia Liaison Office, mentioned issues such as inadequate infrastructure and congestion at the Busia One Stop Border Post, which have increased business costs. He also criticized illegal county charges, numerous unauthorized checkpoints, and unpredictable taxation as obstacles to regional integration.
Long-distance truck drivers appealed to the government to improve security along the Northern Corridor. Abel Namenge, speaking on behalf of truck drivers at the Malaba border point, called for the reinstatement of the Northern Corridor Police Unit to provide security for drivers and cargo. He urged EAC partner states to protect transporters and traders operating across borders and to cease harassment and extortion of traders.
Fish traders and hotel operators also expressed concerns about the growing number of unlicensed mobile food vendors operating around the border, significantly reducing their customer base and causing substantial losses.
