The East African Community (EAC) has convened a two-day high-level Multisectoral Dialogue in Kigali, Rwanda, to address persistent and emerging barriers undermining intra-regional trade and the broader integration agenda.
The meeting brings together technical and policy officials from all eight Partner States to identify bottlenecks, assess existing interventions, and propose concrete measures to fast-track implementation of the Customs Union and Common Market. Despite progress in establishing legal and institutional frameworks, intra-EAC trade has remained stuck at around 15% of total trade for over a decade, well below its estimated potential of 30% to 50% or more.
A major focus of the dialogue is the continued prevalence of Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs), including discriminatory domestic taxes, duplicative inspections, inconsistent application of Rules of Origin, and sanitary and phytosanitary restrictions. Delegates are expected to examine stronger enforcement mechanisms and clearer escalation procedures to address politically sensitive trade barriers.
Participants are also reviewing high transport and logistics costs, incomplete implementation of the One Network Area, digital interoperability gaps, and uneven operationalisation of One-Stop Border Posts and the Single Customs Territory. Broader concerns include slow services liberalisation, limited industrialisation, weak value addition, Special Economic Zone performance, climate risks, and the role of youth and women in driving inclusive growth.
Opening the meeting, Rwanda’s Minister of Trade and Industry, Prudence Sebahizi, reaffirmed the country’s commitment to deeper regional integration and stronger public-private sector collaboration.
Minister of State for EAC Affairs, Yusta Kayitesi, warned that NTBs continue to raise transaction costs, disrupt supply chains and undermine confidence in the EAC as a rules-based market.
Chairperson of the EAC Council of Ministers and Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for East African Community, ASALs and Regional Development, Beatrice Askul Moe, called for simpler and faster trade processes, urging stakeholders to adopt practical, time-bound measures that ease cross-border trade.
EAC Secretary General Veronica Nduva noted that intra-regional trade grew from $6.42 billion in 2016 to $15.25 billion in 2024, an annual growth rate of about 11–12%. However, she cautioned that it still accounts for only around one-eighth of total exports, underscoring continued reliance on external markets.
From the private sector, East African Business Council Vice Chairperson Denis Karera stressed the need for measurable progress, calling for a regional scorecard to track implementation and ensure policies translate into tangible trade gains.
The dialogue is expected to produce priority actions for consideration by the Council and Summit, aimed at accelerating the realisation of a seamless, competitive and inclusive EAC single market.
–ChannelAfrica/EAC–
