Key  stakeholders met at the Loitoktok/Tarakea and Lwakhakha/Lwakhakha borders on June 5-6 and June 8-9, 2023, respectively, to explore ways in which to enhance cross border trade. These meetings were convened by the East Africa Community (EAC) Secretariat and supported by TMA through the Economic Recovery and Reform program.

The prior fact-finding missions conducted by TMA in February 2023 provided valuable insights into the requirements and challenges at the Oloitoktok/Tarakea and Lwakhakha/Lwakhakha borders. With these findings as a foundation, the meetings sought to prioritize short-term initiatives that would enhance the efficiency of the borders and facilitate increased trade within the region. The gatherings saw participation of government representatives from Uganda, Tanzania, and Kenya, local community representatives, and border agencies, including revenue authorities, immigration, customs, port health, and standard bureaus.

During the meetings, stakeholders deliberated and agreed on a harmonized list of key initiatives to address the challenges. These initiatives encompassed crucial areas, including i) installation of cargo, walk-through, and baggage scanners, ii) purchase of digital weighing machines, iii) installation of solar lighting, backup systems, and electronic billboards, iv) erection of signages, vi) purchasing aflatoxin and moisture test kits, vii) CCTV camera installations, viii) acquisition of office furniture, heavy-duty printers, desktops, and laptops, and ix) the establishment of small traders’ associations. Notably, at the Lwakhakha border in Kenya, supplementary priorities included grading the verification yard, constructing a security shade and barrier, and digging a water borehole to address the prevailing water shortage.

The workshops made recommendations to the EAC committee on customs to have the EAC Secretariat conduct sensitization and capacity-building activities for communities around the borders, develop a model memorandum of understanding (MOU) for border-shared operations, and conduct a survey on the social and economic impact of the upgrades in the area. Additionally, the mission noted that the Secretariat should establish a master plan for two-stop border posts and develop an EAC Simplified Coordinated Border Management Framework.

TMA agreed to facilitate the implementation of the harmonized priority requirements within a year, from July 2023 to June 2024. Additionally, the EAC Secretariat, in collaboration with TMA, will organize a follow-up meeting in November 2023 to review the progress made in implementing the priority interventions and plan for the subsequent stages of the project.