President Yower Museveni has asked minster of Trade Minister Amelia Kyambadde, to play it cool and resist from exchanging words with Kenyan authorities which blocked Uganda’s milk exports.
Museveni who spoke about the matter during the National Resistance Movement (NRM) National Executive Committee (NEC) at State House Entebbe on Friday and also on Saturday at Namboole during the delegates conference said that business wars will not develop East Africa as a region but rather take it backward.
He said that negotiation can help instead of unplanned retaliations.
“The other day in Kenya, some people blocked milk from here and then some of you said we retaliate, no I don’t want to hear that. President Kenyatta is very friendly and clear-headed on business, he is a businessman himself and we can seat down and get this problem solved,” he said.
Museveni’s statement of peaceful handling of the matter came two days after Kyambadde, had given Kenya an ultimatum period of 14 days to lift export blockades slapped on Ugandan goods or suffer reciprocative actions also.
“We had given Kenyan authorities 14 days. We are left with a few days and I’m sure they are yet to respond. We will negotiate with them and if they don’t respond, we will send a delegation there. We might even go to the political level,” she said.
Kyambadde said as the Minister of Trade, she tried to contact her counterpart in Kenya, but because of the reshuffles that went on in Kenya recently, she couldn’t get in touch with the new Kenya Cabinet Minister for Trade.
Uganda demanded that Kenya immediately release the seized consignment of {Lato} branded milk as they were duly cleared by the relevant Kenyan government bodies for importation into Kenya and are not contraband, substandard and or counterfeit as alleged.
Kyambadde further noted that Uganda may opt for retaliation since some times in business retaliation is necessary.
However, Museveni promised her that all issues will be solved amicably without straining each other which may create another impasse between two countries yet there is already another tension of Uganda and Rwanda.
Do you have a story in your community or an opinion to share with us: Email us at editorial@watchdoguganda.com
