Comesa Holds Sensitization Workshop For Kenya and Uganda Small Scans Traders to Promote Peace, Security and Border Points

The Common Market for Southern and East African ( COMESA) four day sensitization workshop  that has drawn small-scale traders from Kenya and Uganda started on Monday, July 28, at Hotel Suddex Amagoro started on July 28 with high expectations.

Addressing the press, head governance, peace, and security, COMESA, Dr Otia Etyang said Comesa,  which has 21 members, is commonly known for trade, but they have a robust and very active peace division which is in charge of promoting peace and security in the region.

" One of the programs we implementing in Comesa is trade in order to promote peace, especially at border points and communities coming out of conflicts," he said.

Dr Otia added:" This is the program we have been implementing  for quite some time now in  this region. We have been able to implement  in Busia,  and now in Malaba, and the expectation is to sensitize cross-border traders in terms of their rights, their roles, in terms of promoting peace and security in the region, and also in collaboration with other government agencies.

" Through this, we shall strengthen cross-border committees. We shall also be able to address the issues they have encountered in the region . Comesa has developed quite a number of policies  and regulatory frameworks  that are supposed to enhance cross-border trade  and also sensitize them on those specific frameworks, including  commercial trade.

By doing so, we shall have many women and young people traders among themselves and also crossing the border to trade in some specific goods aimed at empowering them through socio-economic development  and to promote the general peace of this region," Dr Otia noted.

Dr. Otia said issues raised by the small-scale traders from Kenya and Ugandan will be addressed urgently, adding that Comesa governance, peace, and security division will also pick on some issues raised and have them addressed through their programs.

Dr Otua cited scarcity of funds as major challenges facing Comesa, noting that they depend on contributions from member States, but their  membership are also facing economic challenges.

" In terms of contributions, we don't have enough funds for our programs and resources are becoming scarce. USAID pulled out, thus affecting our programs in one way or another," he concluded.

Chairlady Malaba Uganda Cross-border Cooperatives, Amanga Dinah said Kenyan traders Cooperatives traders are free to go farmers in Uganda, but Ugandan traders are not allowed to do the same in Kenya.

 Unharmonised trade policies by member states, Non tariff barriers  that make traders lose money, and payment of unofficial revenue by county governments, especially  in Kenya.

Her Kenyan counterpart Lorna Okitoi  said Malaba is the busiest border town that clears over 1200 trucks per day,  but lack of information on trading rights  and inadequate training was its undoing.

Lorna  urged Comesa to facilitate adequate training and literacy empowerment trainings, which are inadequate.

Lorna added that entrants are not trained, with inherent challenges emanating from effects of exchange rates, limited capital conditions,  Unsupported  Etido, fluctuation in market prices, policies and regulations, children smuggling between the two countries,  and poor markets.

Other challenges she raised included unsupported ETIDO in the desk all the time, fluctuation in market prices, policies, and unharmonised  regulations.

She added:" Children's hawking  is becoming unbearable in Malaba Kenya,  especially those  unharmonised  policies in Comesa, including interest to safeguard, noting that  the USD2000 tax exemption to small scale traders  was too minimal  to sustain the trade.

" We import a number of labour from Uganda in homes and in search of employment opportunities and other foreign countries which is in line with East African  community free movement of labour and services," he said.

Malaba Uganga trade information officer Sam Kwemein said the lack  of modern markets was, especially in Kenya was the main  hindrance hampering international trade.

Uganda SACCO treasurer  Echairi Harriet said  the lack of sanitisation infrastructure was contributing to a low  population of mothers doing cross-border businesses because of monthly menses and children's care, noting that such groups need markets with safe places.

Secretary Betty Okuni said there is a lack of cold rooms for some perishable products and lack of markets in Malaba Kenya, street lights, and scanners for transit cargo.