ASKUL MOE RALLIES PRIVATE SECTOR TO UNLOCK $2.9 BILLION UNTAPPED INTRA-EAC TRADE AT 2026 BUSINESS SUMMIT.
BY NJOKI KARANJA
Nairobi, February 24, 2026.
The East African Community (EAC) must urgently dismantle persistent trade barriers and fast-track regional integration to unlock an estimated USD 2.9 billion in unrealized annual trade potential, Cabinet Secretary for EAC, ASALs and Regional Development Beatrice Askul Moe has said.
Speaking during the East African Business and Investment Summit and Expo 2026 in Nairobi, Hon. Askul Moe—who also serves as Chairperson of the EAC Council of Ministers—challenged Partner States to confront long-standing bottlenecks that continue to suppress intra-regional trade, currently standing at 15 percent of total trade within the bloc.
“The basic question remains—why have we not achieved this level of intra-regional trade over the last 20 years of implementing the Customs Union?” she posed, calling for what she termed an “honest conversation” on barriers that are within the power of member states to remove.
The summit, convened by the East African Business Council in collaboration with the East African Community, is themed “Promoting Private Sector Driven Regional Integration for Increased Intra and Extra EAC Trade and Investment.” It brings together policymakers, regulators and business leaders to chart strategies for accelerating trade and investment across the region.
Over the past two decades, the EAC has undertaken wide-ranging policy reforms aimed at harmonizing regulations, reducing trade barriers and fostering cross-border collaboration. These reforms, she noted, have contributed to steady growth in both intra-regional trade and cross-border investments.
However, she emphasized that the bloc must move beyond incremental gains and aim for at least 40 percent intra-EAC trade to fully harness its economic potential.
Her remarks follow a High-Level Multi-Sectoral Dialogue held last week in Kigali, where leaders acknowledged that most of the obstacles hindering trade fall squarely within the jurisdiction of Partner States.
“The message was loud and clear—that what is required now is goodwill to address these barriers without further delay,” she said.
Hon. Askul Moe underscored the indispensable role of the private sector in driving integration, describing public and private actors as “co-joined at the hip.” She noted that policy decisions by the EAC Council of Ministers have increasingly been shaped through collaboration with the private sector, led by EABC, to improve the ease of doing business and stimulate investment flows.
She further stressed that regional integration is no longer optional but a strategic imperative, particularly in building resilient regional value chains capable of withstanding global economic shocks.
“The Community is rising. We have seen reforms translate to results, ambition to action as we gradually shape a thriving Pan-African market,” she said, rallying participants under the summit’s rallying call: “EAC Rising: From Reform to Results in a Thriving Pan-African Market.”
The two-day summit is expected to generate policy proposals and business commitments aimed at strengthening trade flows, deepening investment, and delivering inclusive prosperity across East Africa.
