KAMPALA– Traders under the Uganda chamber of commerce and Entrepreneur’s League have dragged the Attorney Generals of Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya to the East African Court of Justice accusing these countries of breaching the East African Community Treaty, protocols and freedom of transit for land locked states.
The petition lodged in court today comes at a time when Uganda has put intense pressure on Kenya and Tanzania to access the Indian Ocean and have an independent port for imports and exports of the country.
The traders led by Karim Karamagi president of the Uganda chamber of commerce, contend that Kenya and Tanzania being transit States for Uganda’s import and export trade, have imposed, permitted, failed to prevent non-tariff barriers and arbitrary restrictions, border closures, excessive administrative requirements, duplicative licensing systems and unpredictable delays that violate the free movement of goods and services within the Community and to Uganda in particular.
“The president of our country H.E Yoweri Kaguta Museveni made a very courageous statement over ownership of the Indian Ocean, and we traders could not sit behind, we have to pursue this issue conclusively to the court’s of law so that we get a port on the sea as soon as possible” Karamagi stated.
Karamagi also expressed dissatisfaction with the Kenyan president William Ruto on how he failed to address the matter in a convincing manner during his recent visit to Uganda
These through their lawyers led by Edison Ruyondo are seeking an order from the court to compel Kenya and Tanzania to allocate land to Uganda along the Indian Ocean to set up her own port in compliance with the East African Community laws.
“The petition calls for strict enforcement of International and regional legal frameworks that guarantee land locked states access to the sea”
Moses Okwalinga the Acting Secretary General of the Uganda chamber of commerce noted that Uganda has suffered whenever Kenya or Tanzania face violence, and this must only be stopped by having our own port on the sea.
” Our traders have constantly complained how their goods are stolen at the port of Mombasa, heavy taxes on these goods, among others. All we ask these countries is to allow Uganda have its own port to manage such problems” Okwalinga emphasized.
It should be remembered that during his remarks in Mbale, president Museveni reminded Ugandans of their freedom to transit at the ocean freely, the statements which have sparked public debate.
