Kenya moves to strip trade barriers at Migori border crossing

Migori Governor Ochilo Ayacko hosts Principal Secretary Caroline Karugu at his office for talks on removing non-tariff barriers at the Isebania-Sirari One-Stop Border Post. [Courtesy]

Kenya has launched talks to eliminate non-tariff barriers (NTBs) at the Isebania-Sirari One-Stop Border Post (OSBP), a crossing that links the Northern Corridor to landlocked markets across East Africa.

Principal Secretary Caroline Karugu of the State Department for East African Community met Migori Governor Ochilo Ayacko at the governor's office alongside county executive officials and technical officers to advance the agenda.

"The Isebania-Sirari OSBP is a vital link to our regional markets. My meeting with Governor Ochilo today progressed the agenda of eliminating NTBs in Migori County. Migori is a critical gateway to the EAC," said Karugu.

The border post, sitting on the Kenya-Tanzania boundary, channels cargo from the Port of Mombasa to inland markets in Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi and beyond.

Migori County also serves as a hub for micro, small and medium enterprises that rely on simplified cross-border trade regimes, adding a local economic dimension to what is otherwise treated as a transit corridor issue.

NTBs, which include arbitrary inspection fees, duplicate clearance procedures and selective document demands, have long undermined the EAC's free movement of goods and services despite treaty commitments to remove them.