Ruto call for a borderless EAC to promote trade
President William Ruto has called for a borderless East African Community (EAC) to promote trade amongst its members.
Speaking during Uganda’s 60th anniversary celebrations at Kololo Ceremonial Grounds in Kampala, he said that the region would only attain prosperity if barriers were eliminated.
“It is our place as leaders and as citizens of the East Africa region to work together so that we can transform our borders which today stand out as barriers and convert them to bridges so that goods, services and people can move across East Africa without any impediment,” he said.
“We are looking in the next few years to see that people, goods and services can move across East Africa as we lead the way in ensuring that the African continental free trade area becomes a reality,” he added.
He urged President Yoweri Museveni to lead the region so that EAC becomes a borderless community due to his experience.
He also addressed the issue of fertiliser citing that foreign exchange would be saved if the regions of EAC manufactured their own fertiliser due to the availability of raw materials instead of relying on imports.
He asked business people and investors in the region to take advantage of the infrastructure provided by EAC and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to do business across the region.
He said that Kenya will work with Uganda to harness opportunities for trade.
Other heads of State present in the Independence ceremony were Presidents Evariste Ndayishimiye of Burundi who is also the Chairman of EAC, Salva Kiir Mayardit of South Sudan, Hussein Ali Mwinyi of Zanzibar and Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of Somalia.
Representatives from Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo were also present.
