Busia produce dealers want President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni to ban Kenyans from having direct business transactions with farmers ahead of his presidential campaigns in the area.
President Yoweri Museveni is expected to hold his 2026 general elections presidential campaign rally in Busia on 15th November 2025. The dealers say Kenya, Tanzania, and Sudan, among others, don’t allow foreign traders to deal directly with the farmer.
Haji Afwan Masembe, the vice chairperson of the Busia Produce multi-purpose traders association, told journalists that since Kenyans started direct purchases from the farmers, the produce market has lost its value at the border.
Masembe says that Kenyan traders have a chemical called NOVA, which they use to dry maize, affecting the quality of maize products they buy in Uganda.
He appealed to area leaders to tell the ruling NRM government to stop the Kenyan traders from going to buy produce in the farms. They suggest Kenyan traders should be compelled to buy maize at the main market in Busia, the way it used to be.
Henry Bwire said some traders have closed their business because there’s little maize in the market, and have resorted to cassava business as a substitute for maize.
Godfrey Mangeni said the shortage is caused by the Kenyan traders who are freely allowed into the villages to buy the crop from the farms.
The independent candidate for Busia Woman member of parliament, Auma Scovia, said during the launch of her campaign at Mumutumba trading center that the issues in the produce market are among the things she wants to go and agitate for in parliament.
She said she will work with fellow legislators and the Ministry of Trade to limit Kenyan traders from buying produce products directly from farmers. She said the practice affects businesses in the Busia produce market.
She appealed to the government to expedite the proposed opening of the two border points at Mulwanda in Lumino sub-county and in Buteba to help create more jobs and reduce the traffic jam of trucks at the entry point at Busia One Stop Border Post.
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