Kenya’s Cabinet secretary for Foreign Affairs Amina Mohamed says the five East African Community (EAC) member states are establishing a regional sugar board that will ensure the sweetener traded within the bloc is produced in the region.

This, she said, would put to an end claims that when one country opens up its market, cartels will bring in sugar from outside the region.

The CS praised The EastAfrican for objective reporting on the trade deal between Kenya and Uganda, which has stoked controversy in the past week.

While addressing journalists on the sidelines of the Japan- Kenya forum at the Serena Hotel in Nairobi, Ms Mohammed referred journalists to the indepth coverage on the Uganda-Kenya talks in the current issue of The  EastAfrican.

READ: More to Uhuru-Museveni talks than sugar, tea and animal products exports

“We had meetings in Uganda and, apart from sugar, we discussed so many issues. If you look at The EastAfrican, you will see,” said Ms Mohamed.

The two countries discussed several issues during President Uhuru Kenyatta’s visit to Uganda a week ago, ranging from Migingo island to trade in beef, tea and maize.

The sugar deal has taken the centre stage in the debate in Kenya and Uganda.

In Nairobi, a political battle between the government and the opposition is still brewing.  

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Kenya Chamber of Commerce have said there are no specific deals allowing Uganda to export duty-free sugar into Kenya.