Close down border markets, Kenya-Uganda officials say

 

BUSIA: Kenyan and Ugandan authorities have called for the closure of undesignated markets along the common border to improve security.

In a joint mission led by Busia County Commissioner Mongo Chimwaga and Busia Uganda Regional Commissioner Kennedy Otit, the authorities said illegal trade had denied the two states revenue.

"We are aware people are taking advantage of Sophia and Marachi markets to smuggle goods and humans. To control this, we must ensure that there are no activities along buffer zones so that the two nations can realise revenue collection by ensuring that all goods pass through the common customs points," said Mr Chimwaga.

And Mr Otit said there was need for people living near the border to appreciate the spirit of the East African Community through legal interactions.

"The East African Community is not in Nairobi or Kampala. It's here at the border and we must observe protocol by promoting legal activities along our borders," he said.

He added that closing the undesignated markets would bring order by regulating movements around the informal entry points, noting that both governments must sensitise the public on the need to take steps towards fulfilling the East African Community trade protocol.

The officials affirmed joint security operations to stem security threats in the border towns and along the customs area.

However, traders operating along the buffer zone have protested the move, saying it will render them jobless and increase crime along the border.