East African Community Affairs and acting Principal Secretary in the State Department for ASALs and Regional Development, Caroline Karugu, speaks during a media engament on achievements for the 2025-26 financial year/ HANDOUT
Kenya has reassured regional traders,
transporters and investors that the country’s election season will
not disrupt the movement of cargo and people along the Northern Corridor.
This, as the government intensifies efforts to
strengthen the region’s busiest trade route and maintain investor confidence.
The assurance comes amid growing political activity
ahead of the August 2027 General Election, with early campaigns and by-elections already signalling the start of an extended electioneering period
that has previously raised concerns over the continuity of regional trade.
Speaking at a media forum on the East
African Community (EAC) achievements for the 2025-26 financial year, East
African Community Affairs Principal Secretary, Caroline Karugu said the
Kenya will ensure cross-border trade is seamless during the political season.
“I wish to reassure transporters and people
engaging in cross-border trade that the government of Kenya, together with the
East African Community, will do all it takes to ensure goods moving along the
Northern Corridor are not affected by the upcoming political season,”
Karugu said.
She said security will be enhanced along the corridor
to safeguard the free movement of goods, people and labour as provided for
under the EAC Treaty.
“We are ensuring that we are securing the Northern
Corridor, our borders and our One Stop Border Posts so that they continue to
operate efficiently and ensure goods and people move freely from country to
country,” she said.
Karugu also appealed to political leaders to safeguard
the country’s economic interests during the campaign period.
The Northern Corridor remains the backbone of East
Africa’s regional trade, stretching about 1,700 kilometres from the Port of
Mombasa through Kenya to Uganda before connecting to Rwanda, Burundi, South
Sudan and the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
The corridor handles more than 35.84 million metric
tonnes of cargo annually and accounts for over 80 per cent of Kenya’s transit
trade.
It is the preferred route for landlocked countries due to improved
infrastructure, increased efficiency at the Port of Mombasa and streamlined
border operations.
Uganda remains the largest user of the Port of
Mombasa, accounting for 65.7 per cent of total transit cargo volumes, followed
by South Sudan at 12.7 per cent, the Democratic Republic of Congo at 11.8 per
cent, Rwanda at 5.1 per cent and Burundi at 1.1 per cent.
During the year, Kenya’s exports to EAC partner states
increased by 9.3 per cent to Sh351.2 billion from Sh321.4 billion, with the
regional bloc accounting for 31 per cent of the country’s global exports and 77
per cent of all Kenyan exports destined for Africa.
Kenya maintained a trade surplus with all EAC partner
states and remained the region’s leading intra-EAC exporter, contributing 35
per cent of total regional exports.
Manufactured goods continued to dominate Kenya’s
export basket, underlining the country’s industrial competitiveness.
Uganda remained Kenya’s largest export destination
within the bloc, with export earnings rising by nearly 30 per cent to Sh162.3
billion.
Exports to Rwanda increased to Sh43.3 billion, while
exports to the Democratic Republic of Congo rose to Sh37.1 billion. Burundi
also recorded modest growth.
However, exports to South Sudan declined to Sh21.5
billion from Sh29.7 billion, while exports to Tanzania fell to Sh63.6 billion
from Sh67.2 billion.
The government’s assurance comes as Kenya implements measures to improve logistics and eliminate non-tariff barriers that have historically slowed cargo movement.
Among the major reforms has been the reduction of road checkpoints along the Northern Corridor from as many as 26 to just five gazetted inspection points, significantly cutting transit time and transport costs for regional traders.
The ministry has also expanded engagement with county governments to remove local levies and administrative barriers affecting regional commerce.
Structured consultations were held with Mombasa, Kajiado, Kwale, Taita Taveta and Migori counties.
As a result, Mombasa county abolished parking fees charged on trucks using gazetted transit routes, while Kajiado committed to scrap the Sh2,000 transit fee imposed on regional cargo trucks during the 2026-27 financial year.
Kwale county also reaffirmed that it does not levy cess on cargo originating from or transiting within the EAC.
The government said the next step will be a Presidential Roundtable bringing together governors of border counties to harmonise policies aimed at improving trade facilitation along the corridor.
The improvements come as the EAC remains Kenya’s largest export market.
