By Our Reporter
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and his Kenyan counterpart President Uhuru Kenyatta officially commissioned the Busia One Stop Border Post on Saturday adding another major entry and exit point between Uganda and Kenya.
The One Stop Border Post (OSBP) brings together immigration, customs and other government agencies from Uganda and Kenya together working under one roof, doing away with the need for trucks and persons to undergo clearance twice at both sides of the border. This ensures limited duplication of border agency interventions thus increasing efficiency in border clearance processes and also gradually reduces the cost of doing business.
The OSBP investment includes office buildings for all border agencies, cargo verification bays, immigration halls, passenger sheds, roads and parking areas, scanner sheds and warehouses.
Speaking at the event, Museveni noted that the new establishment will facilitate easier trade between Uganda and Kenya. “Integration ensures prosperity of our people through trade and services. This one-stop border will make it easy for trade to happen,” he said.
“I thank Trademark EA, President Kenyatta and the government of Kenya for this spirit of cooperation.” He added.
The Busia one-stop border post is the second busiest entry point in Uganda after Malaba, handling transit traffic to and from Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, DRC and South Sudan.
The project was funded by UK Department of International Development (DFID) and the Global Affairs Canada to a tune of $12 million through Trade Mark East Africa (TMEA).