President Museveni has called on East African countries to remove trade barriers and deepen economic integration, saying a larger regional market is key to accelerating development and improving livelihoods.
Museveni made the remarks on Thursday at State House, Entebbe, while receiving Letters of Credence from four newly appointed envoys representing Kenya, South Korea, Tanzania and Namibia.
The envoys included Kenya’s High Commissioner-designate Amb. Ababu Namwamba, South Korea’s Ambassador-designate Sangho Lee, Tanzania’s High Commissioner-designate Maj. Gen. Marco Elisha Gaguti, and Namibia’s High Commissioner-designate Gabriel Pandureni Sinimbo.
During his meeting with Amb. Namwamba, President Museveni emphasised the need for East African countries to eliminate restrictions and high taxes on goods moving across borders, arguing that such measures weaken the East African Common Market.
The President said regional prosperity depends on creating a larger integrated market where goods, services and people can move freely.
“The United States started with only 13 states but eventually expanded to 50. That large market has made it one of the strongest economies in the world. East Africa should learn from such examples and continue building a strong common market,” Museveni said.
Museveni cited Uganda’s decision to continue allowing Tanzanian rice into the local market despite complaints from some domestic farmers who wanted imports restricted because of lower prices.
He said banning the imports would have had negative consequences, including hurting Tanzania’s economy, denying Ugandan consumers access to cheaper products, reducing competition among local producers and undermining regional integration.
The President said protecting local industries from competition could discourage innovation, productivity and efficiency.
“Genuine regional integration requires member countries to prioritise long-term economic transformation over short-term protectionist interests,” Museveni said.
Amb. Namwamba conveyed greetings from Kenyan President William Ruto and reaffirmed Nairobi’s commitment to strengthening relations with Uganda.
He described the East African Community as a key platform for sustainable economic growth and pledged to make trade promotion a central focus of his diplomatic mission.
“Commercial diplomacy is going to be at the top of my priorities during my tenure of duty to promote and increase the volume of trade between the two countries,” Namwamba said.
The Kenyan envoy pledged to advocate for easier movement of goods between the two countries, saying reducing trade barriers would benefit businesses and citizens on both sides of the border.
Namwamba also highlighted his personal connection with Uganda, saying he was raised with strong links to the country.
He described himself as “a Musoga by association”, recalling that his father worked in Jinja while his mother operated a restaurant in Mengo, Kampala, before the family returned to Kenya in 1979.
Before his appointment as Kenya’s High Commissioner to Uganda, Namwamba served as Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Youth Affairs, Sports and the Arts.
President Museveni also received South Korea’s Ambassador-designate Sangho Lee, who conveyed greetings from South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and pledged to strengthen cooperation between the two countries.
Amb. Lee said Seoul was committed to expanding collaboration with Uganda in areas of mutual interest while building on decades of friendly relations.
Museveni recalled Uganda’s long-standing relationship with Korea, noting that Korean professionals have contributed to Uganda’s development for decades.
“Koreans have been here since 1966. I remember when I was in secondary school, many Korean doctors came to Uganda. We are very happy with South Korea, and we have good relations with North Korea as well,” Museveni said.
The President also reflected on the relationship between South and North Korea, questioning why the two countries had not reunited despite their shared history and culture.
Museveni later received Tanzania’s High Commissioner-designate Maj. Gen. Marco Elisha Gaguti and Namibia’s High Commissioner-designate Gabriel Pandureni Sinimbo.
The two envoys pledged to strengthen the existing friendship and cooperation between their countries and Uganda.
President Museveni assured the diplomats of Uganda’s support throughout their assignments and reaffirmed the country’s commitment to peaceful diplomacy, international cooperation and expanding bilateral partnerships.
The presentation of Letters of Credence is a diplomatic tradition through which ambassadors and high commissioners formally submit official documents from their respective Heads of State authorising them to represent their countries in another sovereign nation.
The ceremony officially marks the beginning of an envoy’s diplomatic assignment in the host country.
The meetings were attended by Acting Foreign Affairs Minister Hajji Haruna Kasolo, senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other government representatives.
