Kampala has sent a protest note to Nairobi demanding the immediate release of consignments of milk seized by Kenyan officials on alleged quality concerns, sparking a fresh diplomatic row between the two neighbouring countries.
Uganda, which is Kenya’s biggest trading neighbour in the region, issued the note on Wednesday expressing deep concern about “illegal seizures of Ugandan-made milk products under the Lato brand.”
The Ugandan Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the seizures by Kenyan authorities, which on January 2, have caused “heavy financial losses to the company”.
Goods worth over Ksh36 million ($360,000) have been confiscated, over fears that they are contraband, counterfeit and substandard the Ugandan ministry said, according to documents tweeted by Ugandan government spokesman Ofwono Opondo on Thursday.
In the protest note, Uganda said the decision by Kenya “contravenes the principle of good neighbourliness” and Kenya’s obligation under the treaty establishing the East African Community, Customs Union protocol, Common Market protocol and World Trade Organisation trade facilitation agreement.
“This has resulted not only into confiscation of 54,310 kilos of powder milk valued at $203,630 and 262,632 litres of UHT milk valued at $157,106 but also have witnessed a sustained negative campaign against Uganda’s milk and milk products, contravening the principle of good neighbourliness and Kenya’s obligations under the Treaty Establishing the East African Community, Customs Union Protocol and Common Market Protocol and the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement,” the protest note read in part.