Museveni hits back at Raila over sugar row

Addressing the East African Legislative Assembly in Kampala last Friday, Mr Museveni dismissed Raila’s criticism of the sugar importation deal signed between Kenya and Uganda this month as “time wasting” and branded the people opposing the undertaking as ignorant.

The President, who preached prosperity and security as essential ingredients of regional integration, took a swipe at Kenyan directors, whom he accused of rejecting Uganda’s sugar and maize yet Uganda has supported Kenya’s development for years.

“You are a director and your job is to block and direct Uganda’s sugar away yet Uganda has supported your prosperity for all these years? What sort of logic is that?” Mr Museveni said, adding that he was very happy with President Kenyatta for telling his directors “to become directors, not misdirectors.”
“Ugandan sugar should go to Kenya without hindrance just as Kenyan goods come to Uganda without any hindrance,” President Museveni said.

He said before he captured power in 1986, Uganda’s economy was dead and buried. But when he resurrected it, production of sugar went up. “Uganda has risen from the dead and is now producing sugar, milk, beef, maize and other products,” he told the regional legislators.

After the two presidents signed the deal in Kampala this month, Mr Odinga claimed that the trade pact would flood the Kenyan market with cheap sugar. He said cane farmers would suffer losses and claimed there were no mechanisms in place to ensure the provision is not abused.

Mr Museveni thanked President Uhuru for agreeing to implement initiatives to remove non-tariff barriers which will deepen commercial ties and widen the regional market of 150 million people.

The sugar Deal
During his three-day state visit to Uganda, Mr Kenyatta and his host struck a deal allowing Ugandan sugar into the Kenyan market.

This deal is expected to end the long-running sugar feud trade across borders in the East African Community bloc.