NAIROBI: Uganda and Kenya have set a meeting on September 9-10 to resolve the dispute over the sugar deal allowing Uganda to export her sugar to Kenya.According to a statement by the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA), the meeting to be held in Kampala will be attended by the Uganda and Kenya Revenue Authorities, sugar producers across the two countries and the East African Community (EAC).
During his recent visit to Uganda, Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta discussed with President Yoweri Museveni, possibilities of Uganda exporting sugar to Kenya.
However Kenya’s main opposition leader Raila Odinga spiked off a sugar standoff after he questioned the sugar deal when, according to him, most Kenyan sugar factories are on the verge of closing down.
He contended that the sugar importation from Uganda would kill off the Kenyan sugar industry. This month’s meeting will not be the first time URA is meeting Kenya Revenue Authority officials over the same issue.
Last year in July, a meeting was convened at Serena hotel in Kampala to discuss the sugar issue and Kenya authorities promised to allow Uganda exports into their country which never happened.