Kenya lifts ban on Uganda’s maize imports

Kenya has lifted the ban on maize imports from Uganda and Tanzania under strict terms. Kenyan local media has reported.

The development comes almost 4 days after Kenya’s Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) directed a ban on maize imports from Uganda and Tanzania over food safety reasons.

According to an official press release signed this week by AFA’s Acting Director General Kello Harsama, maize from the two neighboring countries contained high levels of mycotoxins which the Kenyan authority considered dangerous to lives of its people.

The move had caused discontent among Ugandan traders who had wanted their country to block imports from Kenya as a way of retaliating against Kenya’s decision.

Fortunately, Business Daily has reported that Kenya’s Ministry of Agriculture has lifted the ban on maize importation from Uganda and Tanzania.

However, Kenya’s Ministry of Agriculture’s decision comes with strict conditions that should be followed by all maize exporters.

“While we strive to give Kenya safe food by addressing the challenge in productions system, we equally expect our trading partners to trade safe maize as per the East African community standards,” Kenya’s Agriculture Chief Administrative Secretary Lawrence Angolo was quoted.

According to the ministry, all importers and exporters shall require registration accompanied with certificates indicating that the level of aflatoxins isn’t exceeding 10%.

Furthermore, traders importing maize from Uganda to Kenya will have to present certificate of origin from the counties of produce before getting clearance at the border points.

The lifting of the ban raises the hope that Uganda can return to being Kenya's major supplier of maize. According to data from the Ministry of Agriculture, maize exports to Kenya rose five-fold in January 2021 rising by 418 percent to 523,000 bags from 101,000 in January 2020.