UGANDAN TRADERS DEMAND URGENT GOVERNMENT ACTION OVER REGIONAL TRADE ASYMMETRY & PROTECTIONISM

By Agaba Andersey 

KAMPALA, UGANDA — Representative bodies of Ugandan cross-border entrepreneurs and small-business owners have issued a joint call to action, demanding that the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives transition from passive regional compliance to rigorous economic diplomacy.Despite Uganda’s strict adherence to the East African Community (EAC) protocols on the free movement of goods and services, local traders continue to face systemic hostility, arbitrary regulatory shifts, and economic nationalism when operating in neighboring markets.

Growing Friction in the Regional MarketWhile Uganda’s domestic markets remain highly accessible to regional traders, Ugandan entrepreneurs crossing into Rwanda, Kenya, South Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) report escalating protectionist barriers.

 These challenges according to Agaba Andersey Business Leader in Kampala, directly undermine the core promise of the East African Common Market.Key grievances highlighted by Ugandan small and medium enterprises (SMEs) include:Persistent Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs):

 Unwarranted delays at border posts, double taxation, and arbitrary clearance fees that erode the profitability of small ventures.Targeted Local Protectionism: Incidents where Ugandan traders are treated as unwanted competitors and pushed out of retail and small-business spaces by local authorities.

Lack of Reciprocity: A stark imbalance between Uganda’s open-door economic policy and the aggressive economic nationalism practiced by regional neighbors.A Call to End the "Good-Boy" PolicyTrade representatives emphasize that regional integration must function as a two-way street.

The current trend leaves Uganda’s vulnerable small entrepreneurs to absorb the financial shock of unevenly enforced regional treaties.

The trading community is calling on Kampala to immediately implement a more assertive foreign trade strategy:Demand Strict Reciprocity: Match the market access granted to neighboring countries with equal, verified protections for Ugandan traders operating abroad.Utilize Dispute Mechanisms:

 "Actively deploy EAC legal and arbitration frameworks to penalize member states that violate free-movement protocols.Direct Government Advocacy: Establish active, high-level diplomatic interventions specifically targeted at protecting small-scale retail and agricultural exporters in border zones.Regional unity cannot be built on the backs of displaced Ugandan entrepreneurs" he said

He added that the government must act swiftly to ensure that the rhetoric of East African brotherhood translates into tangible, mutual prosperity and fair competition on the ground.

The Author Agaba Andersey is a Spares Dealer