Traders in Busia and Uganda have a reason to smile after Trade Mark East Africa (TMEA) resolve to set up a Sh2billion market at Busia border to foster trade and development of SMEs within the town.
Busia County Commissioner Sam Ojwang said that the proposed Jumuia Cross-Border market that will sit on 40-acres and which is expected to be built in Busia will also address the challenges Kenyan traders face while doing business at the border.
Speaking in Busia after site inspection meeting that brought together officials from KRA, TMEA and both County and national government representatives, Ojwang noted that most Kenyans cross the border to do business in Uganda because of insufficient space on the Kenyan side to trade from.
“The main agenda here is to boost business on the Kenyan side of the border. We all know that there is a lot of business activity on the Ugandan side but when you come to the Kenyan side business is not running as expected,” Ojwang said.
“The primary objective of building the market is that we will be able to attract SMEs business on the Kenyan side so that Kenyan traders can get space from where they will do business hence bring about economic empowerment to the county.
One of the critical components of this Jumuia Cross-Border market is to target Small and Medium Enterprises through the government Bottom-Up approach because many Kenyans are small scale traders. When we give them the opportunity to do business, then the Bottom-Up approach as a policy of the government will be realised,” he noted.
Early this year (March), Fisheries, Aquaculture and Blue Economy PS Francis Owino hosted his Ugandan Counterpart Major General David Kasura for four days in Busia and Turkana as the two countries moved to resolve Kenyan fish exporters’ complaints of harassment by Ugandan authorities.
Owino said then that engagement between him and his Ugandan counterpart had resolved that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs would deposit a demand notice to Uganda for purposes of processing the request for compensation.
The resolution came four months after Kenyan traders complained of losing fish worth Sh50 million after the dried export product was confiscated by Ugandan military manning the Uganda-DR Congo border. The fish was destined for the Central African country.
The CC also said the Interior Ministry will avail land in Sofia and Marachi in Busia town to facilitate the expansion of the One Stop Border Post.
This project aims at decongesting the Busia-Kisumu highway since cargo trucks will be diverted to Sofia and Marachi where they will be cleared before being allowed to cross the border into Uganda.
“The government through the Ministry of Interior is going to give out land in Sofia and Marachi to facilitate the construction of a facility to compliment the operations of the One Stop Border Post,” he said.
KRA targets to increase revenue collection at Busia and Malaba OSBP from over Sh10 billion targets annually to Sh30 billion.
Ojwang noted that they are engaging the Ugandan administration in Busia Uganda to address complaints of harassment of Kenyan traders who do business across the border.
He said the administration in Busia Uganda has expressed willingness to fight and stop the harassment Kenyan traders go through while doing business in the landlocked country.
He said more engagements with his counterpart in Busia Uganda over the issue will be conducted until the problem is permanently addressed.
“That is an issue that we are discussing with our colleagues from Uganda because when Ugandans cross the border to do business in Kenya, nobody harasses them,” Ojwang said. “So, the same should apply to Kenyans who do business on the Ugandan side of the border,” he added.
Ojwang said plans are underway to rehabilitate the Busia-Kisumu highway to make it a dual way.
By Absalom Namwalo
