Nairobi: Kenya has signaled readiness for increased maize trade with Uganda as the two countries push for greater agricultural trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). The arrangement, further, seeks to maintain expanded cross-border trade coupled with food safety and greater investment in agriculture.
According to Kenya News Agency, Agriculture Cabinet Secretary (CS), Mutahi Kagwe said Uganda is well positioned to supply part of Kenya’s maize deficit, but urged the country to strengthen mechanisms that help farmers dry their maize properly and address aflatoxin concerns before the grain crosses the border. Speaking during a luncheon meeting with Uganda’s Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture, Kagwe said improving post-harvest handling would create a win-win situation by opening greater market opportunities for Ugandan farmers while ensuring Kenyan consumers receive safe and quality food.
Kagwe emphasized the need for a system in Uganda where maize is dried before it crosses the border. He noted that concerns around moisture and aflatoxin levels have made some Kenyan millers reluctant to take up maize from across the border, and said addressing the issue at source would help facilitate increased trade. Kagwe said Kenya will continue protecting consumers by ensuring food entering the country complies with established safety and quality standards, even as it works with neighboring countries to expand regional trade.
The CS placed the maize issue within the wider AfCFTA conversation, arguing that African countries should work together to address practical obstacles that continue limiting agricultural trade rather than allowing them to deny farmers access to markets. Kagwe advocated for easing small tariff and non-tariff barriers and finding win-win situations in agriculture.
He also suggested that different African countries enjoy different agricultural advantages and should use them to complement each other, particularly where one country has the capacity to supply commodities needed by another. Kagwe invited Uganda to consider adopting Kenya’s Animal Identification and Traceability (ANITRAC) technology to enhance animal identification, traceability, and efforts against cattle rustling.
The meeting brought together CS Kagwe, Kenyan legislators and senior Ministry officials alongside members of Uganda’s Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture. The discussions underscored a shared position that AfCFTA must move beyond agreements on paper and translate into real markets for African farmers, increased investment in agriculture, greater value addition and safe food for consumers. Kenya and Uganda are seeking practical solutions that allow agricultural produce to move across their borders while safeguarding the health and interests of their citizens.
The Ugandan Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture called for greater intra-African agricultural trade, noting that despite the establishment of AfCFTA, African countries are still not trading sufficiently among themselves. The delegation identified the harmonization of agricultural and trade protocols, climate change, water for production, pest and disease control, energy, cold storage, extension services, weak markets, value addition, and agribusiness as challenges requiring greater investment and regional cooperation.
Agricultural financing also emerged as a shared concern, with legislators from both countries warning that the sector remains underfunded despite carrying much of the responsibility for food security, employment, and rural livelihoods. The Ugandan delegation highlighted that agriculture receives about 2.2 per cent of the country’s national budget, which remains inadequate considering the sector’s importance to the economy.
Kenya’s National Assembly Agriculture and Livestock Committee Chairperson, Dr. John Mutunga, emphasized the need for increased investment in agriculture to realize its potential as a major creator of jobs. He cited Kenya’s fertilizer and seed subsidy programs, interventions to improve soil health, and expansion of last-mile distribution as measures aimed at raising agricultural productivity. Mutunga noted that Kenya’s farmer registration had grown significantly, providing a stronger platform for targeting agricultural interventions.
