Uganda wont retaliate against Kenya’s maize ban, says Museveni

President Museveni has said Uganda cant retaliate the recent ban on importation of Ugandan maize by the Kenyan government.

After the lifting of the ban that had been imposed on Ugandan maize, the Kenyan government put strict terms that include all importers and exporters being  required to register on top of  moving  with certificates indicating that the level of aflatoxins isn’t exceeding 10%.

Following the move, many Ugandans including some legislators have asked government to payback by banning Kenyan goods coming into the Ugandan market.

However, speaking to the country on Sunday evening, President Museveni insisted that retaliation would be defeating the spirit of the East African Community that he has advocating for on a number of platforms.

“The other day I heard some of our MPs talking of retaliation, I couldn’t agree with that. What we need is to patiently work for the integration of East Africa,”Museveni said.

https://nilepost.co.ug/2021/03/06/kenya-bans-maize-imports-from-uganda-tanzania/

“Therefore, the idea of retaliation is not good because it plays in the hands of those who want us to break up.”

The president noted that it is appalling that instead of integration of the East African region, some people are thinking about tribes and religion, noting that these are false prophets who need to be shunned.

“Those who talk of trade in one breath and tribalism in another breath are bogus. They are enemies of Uganda.”

Quality

In their ban on Uganda and Tanzanian maize, the Kenyan government said they had found out that the imports had high levels of mycotoxins that are consistently beyond safety limits.

However, after rescinding the ban, Kenya insisted that the maize ought to be checked to see that aflatoxins don’t exceed 10%.

Speaking to the nation on Sunday, President Museveni urged farmers to ensure their maize is harvested and stored well to avoid getting aflatoxins.

“In order to qualify for the international market, we must meet the standards. The market is there. Some Iranians wanted to buy our maize but they found quality issues,” he said.

https://nilepost.co.ug/2021/03/11/kenya-lifts-ban-on-ugandas-maize-imports/#:~:text=Kenya%20has%20lifted%20the%20ban,Tanzania%20over%20food%20safety%20reasons.