President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has called for the strengthening of the East African Common Market, warning that protectionist trade policies and high tariffs among regional partners undermine economic integration and deny citizens the benefits of a larger regional market.
The President made the remarks on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, at State House, Entebbe, while receiving Letters of Credence from four Heads of Mission- esignate, officially accrediting them to represent their respective countries in Uganda.
The envoys who presented their credentials were Kenya’s High Commissioner-designate, Amb. Ababu Namwamba; the Republic of 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.
President Museveni emphasized the need for East African countries to deepen economic integration by removing barriers to trade and observed that imposing high taxes and restrictions on goods moving between Uganda and Kenya weakens the East African Common Market and ultimately hurts ordinary citizens and businesses.
The meetings were attended by the Acting Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hajji Haruna Kasolo, senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and other government officials.
