Kadaga wants ban on Kenyans traders buying food from farms

Uganda's Parliament is moving toward restricting cross-border agricultural purchasing, with Speaker Anita Among signaling support for measures that would limit Kenyan traders' direct access to Ugandan farm produce. This protectionist initiative reflects growing tensions within East Africa's agricultural supply chains and signals a critical shift in how regional trade will function moving forward. The proposed restrictions emerge from farmer complaints that Kenyan bulk buyers exploit Uganda's lower production costs and weaker market coordination to acquire commodities at farm-gate prices significantly below domestic wholesale rates. Uganda's agricultural sector, which contributes approximately 24% of GDP and employs over 70% of the rural workforce, has long struggled with farmer income volatility and unfavorable buyer-seller dynamics. Kenyan traders, operating with superior logistics networks and established distribution channels, have become preferred partners for volume purchases, effectively bypassing local aggregators and creating direct competition for Uganda's domestic value chains. This development must be understood within the broader context of East African integration challenges. While the East African Community theoretically guarantees free movement of goods and services, enforcement remains inconsistent. Uganda has historically positioned itself as a regional agricultural hub, exporting maize, beans, coffee, and horticultural products across East Africa. However, the asymmetrical development of supply chain