Science meets business to tackle agri-trade delays at East African border crossings
ENTEBBE, June 21, 2026 — At dawn each day along the Namanga border between Kenya and Tanzania, a familiar scene unfolds: more than 350 trucks carrying avocados, groundnuts, soybeans and pineapples queue for inspection. What should be a routine process often stretches into an all-day ordeal under intense heat, leaving drivers waiting as perishable produce steadily deteriorates.
For Sarah Mutua, a Kenyan exporter of Hass avocados, border delays are more than an inconvenience — they are a race against time.
“By the time my trucks clear inspection, I’ve lost more than 15 per cent of my cargo to spoilage. The uncertainty also costs me clients in Kigali, Bujumbura and beyond,” she says.
Mutua’s experience reflects a wider regional challenge. Thousands of agricultural traders across East Africa continue to face disruptions at border crossings, resulting in financial losses, inefficiencies and reduced competitiveness.
For years, East African Community [EAC] member states have applied different pest risk assessment frameworks and Standard Operating Procedures [SOPs] to protect their agricultural sectors. However, the lack of harmonisation has contributed to more than 60 per cent of cross-border trade bottlenecks, including multiple inspections, inconsistent requirements and limited transparency.
The result has been congestion, rising costs and, in some cases, opportunities for corruption — with traders ultimately paying the price through spoilage, missed delivery timelines and constrained market access.
In response, regional stakeholders have pushed for a more coordinated and science-driven approach aimed at aligning regulatory requirements while maintaining the integrity of phytosanitary controls.
Earlier this year, EAC member states introduced a harmonised pest risk assessment framework alongside unified SOPs for key agricultural commodities traded across borders. The reforms are expected to simplify trade processes, improve transparency and increase efficiency at border points.
The framework is intended to close longstanding gaps in phytosanitary inspection systems, ease the movement of goods and reduce opportunities for graft.
For Bureau Veritas Group, the shift represents more than regulatory alignment — it signals an opportunity to strengthen trust and efficiency across regional trade.
“This is an important step toward improving regional trade competitiveness and bridging the gap between scientific assurance and business efficiency,” says Edwin Kabuleeta, Country Chair of Bureau Veritas.
Drawing on its global expertise in agri-commodities, Bureau Veritas supported the initiative through a partnership model centred on certification, digitalisation and scientific validation.
The company also operates Verigates.com, an integrated digital platform that enables traders to secure certification before transit. The platform provides end-to-end traceability through blockchain-secured records, real-time risk mapping powered by Safe-Supply technologies, and priority clearance channels for pre-certified cargo.
According to stakeholders, the system reduces dependence on repeated border inspections and creates a more predictable trading environment.
However, stakeholders emphasise that trade facilitation must not come at the expense of agricultural safety.
“We must ensure that trade expansion does not result in the spread of harmful pests across borders. Science must remain at the centre of all decisions to protect both our economies and ecosystems,” says Ephrance Tumuboine, Uganda’s Assistant Commissioner for Phytosanitary and Quarantine Services, speaking during a recent stakeholders’ meeting in Entebbe.
Bureau Veritas, which operates specialised entomology and plant pathology laboratories across the region, says scientific validation remains critical in certifying agricultural products for both regional and international markets.
Stakeholders argue that the future of intra-regional agricultural trade will depend increasingly on proactive risk management rather than reactive border inspections.
As East Africa expands into higher-value agricultural exports, the need for efficient, transparent and science-led trade systems is becoming increasingly urgent. Harmonised frameworks supported by certification and digital innovation are expected to help unlock that potential — demonstrating how science and business can work together to drive sustainable growth.
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