Libino Byamukama, Kabale District – Katuna cross-border traders and leaders in Kabale District have urged the government to compensate traders who lost goods after the closure of the Katuna-Gatuna border in 2019.
Trademark Africa, with support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), is implementing a 5-year East Africa Economic Recovery and Reform Activity (ERRA) program.
They made these demands on June 24, 2024, during a two-day capacity-building workshop for small-scale cross-border traders at the White Horse Hotel in Kabale.
The leaders, led by Kabale District LC5 Chairperson Nelson Nshanagabasheija, called on the government to provide special consideration for traders who were operating before the border closure. Nshanagabasheija expressed concern over the embezzlement of funds intended for Katuna cross-border traders, noting that many had taken loans from financial institutions.
He urged the government to allocate at least UGX 7 billion to support these traders.
Traders, including Tindimurekura Justus, Chairperson of the Katuna Cross-Border Traders Association, Akankwasa Miria Tugume, Chairperson of Katuna Women Cross-Border Traders, and her vice, Mrs. Kyarisima Debrah, reported significant losses, especially in perishable products.
They further appealed for compensation and urged the government to address exploitation by Rwandan counterparts on weighing scales and reduce waiting times at the border.
Mrs. Nakate Sarah, Principal Regional Integration Officer in the Ministry of East African Community Affairs, pledged to address their concerns with her superiors.
Rwandan President Paul Kagame closed the borders in 2019, accusing Uganda of hosting Rwandan dissidents, abducting Rwandan nationals, and confining them to non-designated areas.
