MEACA Uganda Updates

Earlier today, Rt. Hon. Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for East African Community Affairs, received the Kampala Declaration on Mental Health, following the East African Mental Health Summit held in Kampala 🇺🇬 on 21–22 October 2026. The summit, jointly hosted by the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of East African Community Affairs, brought together Ministers of Health 🏥🩺from EAC 🌍 Partner States to discuss 🤝ways of strengthening mental health services across the region. During the summit, Rt. Hon. Kadaga @RebeccaKadagaUG called on the EAC to develop a regional mental health policy and urged the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) to initiate legislation to strengthen the regional response to mental health challenges. #EACIntegration #MentalHealthMatters

🇷🇼📍KIGALI, Rwanda, 8 November 2026: The 26th East African Community (EAC) Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Trade Fair closed on Sunday at the Gikondo grounds in Kigali, with leaders urging exhibitors to turn the connections made over the past 10 days into contracts. The United Republic of Tanzania will host the 27th edition next year. Officially closing the fair, the chief guest, Rwanda's Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs @RwandaMFA , Mr. Juan Haguma, said the fair had brought together more than 2,000 exhibitors and business delegates from across East Africa and beyond. He said the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) offered MSMEs a chance to move beyond national markets, but that access must be matched by the capacity to compete. He called for support to help enterprises meet quality standards, comply with rules of origin and raise productivity, and hoped exhibitors would return as established suppliers and regional exporters. Representing the EAC Secretariat, Deputy Secretary General Ms. Annette Ssemuwemba thanked Rwanda for exceptional hosting. She acknowledged that complex procedures, high transport costs and limited financing still burdened MSMEs, and assured them that these issues were being addressed. She also looked ahead to a digital fair, with mobile payments, tap and go options and an online register of participants. She said the commitment was in line with the EAC Seventh Development Strategy, themed Deepening Integration for Improved Livelihoods for EAC Citizens, and that the Secretariat's vision was to make the fair the biggest MSME fair on the continent. The Chairman of the Confederation of Micro and Small Enterprise Organizations (CMSEO) East Africa described the fair as historic, saying it had been the largest, most attended, and most successful so far. He said many exhibitors had found new customers, markets and partners, which he called proof that MSMEs were the engine of East Africa. He thanked the Government of Rwanda @RwandaGov and President Paul Kagame for the hospitality and organization. The Regional Trade Advisor for Southern and East Africa at the AfCFTA @AfCFTA Secretariat, Ms. Nomalanga Pearl Gule, said the true measure of the agreement would be the participation of MSMEs in cross-border trade. She said the Secretariat had delivered the AfCFTA Booster Programme on the margins of the fair to strengthen the export readiness of women and youth-led MSMEs, covering the e-tariff book, rules of origin and the non-tariff barrier reporting mechanism. She challenged the EAC and the wider business community to move from commitments to action, and from capacity building to actual trade. The ceremony ended with the handover of the trade fair flag from the Republic of Rwanda 🇷🇼 to the EAC Secretariat🌍, which then passed it to the next host, the United Republic of Tanzania🇹🇿. #EACMSMEsTradeFair2026 #regionalintegration PhotoCredit📸: Meshack John EAC Photographer

The Uganda High Commissioner to Rwanda, H.E. Amb.Maj. Gen. (Rtd) Robert Rusoke while delivering his remarks, wished Ugandan exhibitors and representatives a successful exhibition, encouraging them to make the most of the business and networking opportunities available. #EACMSMEsTradeFair #Ugandaday

The EAC @jumuiya Deputy Secretary General, Ms Annette Ssemuwemba, called for renewed commitment to building 🤝one East African Community through stronger partnerships and expanded business opportunities. She noted that the trade fair had attracted approximately 3,000 exhibitors, reflecting the growing importance of the platform in promoting regional enterprises. She further reaffirmed the EAC Secretariat’s commitment to increasing the visibility of the exhibition and expanding its regional and international reach, with the ambition of making it the largest MSME trade fair in the region🌍. #EACMSMEsTradeFair #Ugandaday

In her remarks, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of East African Community Affairs(MEACA), Mrs Edith N. Mwanje, welcomed participants to #Uganda 🇺🇬 Day and underscored the importance of working together to address barriers that continue to constrain trade and limit the benefits of regional integration. Her message reinforced the Ministry’s commitment to advancing Uganda’s participation in the EAC and ensuring that regional integration translates into practical opportunities for businesses, traders and ordinary citizens. The Ministry plays a central role in coordinating Uganda’s engagement in the EAC, working with Ministries, Departments and Agencies, the private sector and other stakeholders to advance the country’s regional integration priorities. #Ugandaday #EACMSMEsTradeFair

The Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on East African Community Affairs @PeacaHQ , Hon. Dennis Namara @NamaraDennisMP , appreciated the Government of Rwanda @RwandaGov🇷🇼🤝🇺🇬 for hosting the trade fair. On behalf of Parliament @Parliament_Ug , particularly the Committee, he recognised the efforts invested in organising the exhibition and providing a platform for regional businesses to connect. #EACMSMEsTradeFair #Ugandaday #regionalintegration