Kenya’s Ruto pleads with EAC partners to reduce trade barriers
Kenya's President William Ruto shares a light moment with exhibitors from Rwanda during the 25th East African Community (EAC) Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Trade Fair at Uhuru Gardens in Nairobi on November 12, 2025.
There has been a sharp rise in non-tariff barriers within the East African Community (EAC), with a new report showing they increased from 10 in November 2024 to 48 in May 2025. The surge has been linked to political instability in some member states, cumbersome customs procedures, inconsistent regulations, and numerous roadblocks.
Kenya’s President William Ruto, the current chair of the EAC, has urged partner states to scale down these trade barriers to strengthen regional integration and ease cross-border trade.
