Gov't defends EAC free movement as debate over foreign traders intensifies

PS Mang’eni dismissed reports that the government had issued an ultimatum targeting small-scale traders from neighbouring EAC member states operating in Kenya, describing the claims as propaganda intended to heighten tensions.

“Contrary to what is out there, what people are saying—that we are giving an ultimatum to small traders who are on our streets and have come from the East African region—I think those are just propaganda and are meant to raise tension. There was nothing like that,” she said.

Speaking amid growing debate over the presence of foreign traders in Kenya, the PS said the country remained bound by regional agreements providing for the movement of people and businesses across EAC member states.

“We have trade protocols that we have agreed on. We know very well that there is free movement of people,” Mang’eni said.

She said the government was instead focused on ensuring Kenyan businesses take advantage of the opportunities created by regional integration.

More than 500 Kenyan MSMEs are expected to participate in the East Africa MSME Trade Fair in Kigali, Rwanda, scheduled for late October through the first week of November.

“This ministry will be leading a delegation of over 500 MSMEs coming from Kenya. We’ll be going to Kigali for the East Africa MSME Trade Fair beginning towards the end of October and up to the first week of November,” she said.

Mang’eni said the planned participation was part of efforts to expand markets for Kenyan enterprises and deepen commercial ties within the region.

She noted that the EAC had expanded from its original three members—Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania—to eight member states, creating a regional market of more than 300 million people.

“As Kenya, we can never even try to frustrate or walk back what we approved and what we have been supporting from the very beginning when the EAC conversation started—to support our regional integration,” she said.

The PS argued that Kenya’s economic size made access to regional and international markets critical for sustaining growth and expanding opportunities for local enterprises.

“You cannot be such a huge economy if you don’t also work out markets within your borders and outside your borders,” she said.

On concerns over foreign traders, Mang’eni said some of those operating in Kenya were linked to local supply chains and contributed to economic activity by sourcing products from Kenyan suppliers.

“When they’re selling those njugus, they’re not bringing in those groundnuts. They are buying groundnuts from here,” she said.

She maintained that the government was not seeking to close Kenya’s economy to traders from the region, but would continue addressing practices that could disadvantage local businesses through appropriate legislation and regulation.

“We are a liberal economy. We are bound by the protocols which we are party to, and we are very respectful,” Mang’eni said.

The PS said Kenya’s commitment to regional integration was consistent with its broader push to expand global trade, arguing that restrictions on intra-regional commerce would undermine the country’s wider economic ambitions.

“We cannot be big on global trade when we also try to frustrate trade within our own region,” she said.

The government maintains that deeper EAC integration will help expand markets for Kenyan entrepreneurs, strengthen MSMEs and reinforce Kenya’s position as a regional trade hub.