Uganda, Kenya sign four MoUs to boost cross-border tourism, trade
Uganda and Kenya have signed four memoranda of understanding (MoUs) to strengthen cross-border tourism, trade and private sector partnerships, as both countries look to ease travel barriers and expand business opportunities across East Africa.
The MoUs were signed on the opening day of the fifth Uganda-Kenya Coast Tourism and Innovation Summit and Exhibition, held at the Sarova White Sands Beach Resort & Spa in Mombasa on 26 and 27 October 2026.
The agreements pair the Kenya Association of Travel Agents with the Uganda Association of Travel Agents, and the Kenya Association of Tour Operators with the Association of Uganda Tour Operators. They also link the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI) with the Private Sector Foundation Uganda, and KNCCI with the Banana Industrial Research and Development Centre.
The summit was convened by the Consulate General of Uganda in Mombasa together with tourism stakeholders from both countries. It focused on tackling policy barriers, improving regional mobility and using technology to expand tourism opportunities.
Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga, Uganda’s first deputy prime minister, minister of East African Community (EAC) affairs and chairperson of the EAC Council of Ministers, said tourism is where the benefits of regional integration are felt first.
“The East African Community promised its people the freedom to move, work and do business across our borders. Article 104 of the Treaty is that promise, and tourism is where its benefits are felt first,” Kadaga said. “Uganda and Kenya must lead by example, and this summit must turn our good intentions into actions the rest of the community can follow.”
Article 104 of the EAC Treaty covers the free movement of people, goods, services and labour across the bloc.
Digital tourism in focus
Beyond policy, delegates explored digital tourism platforms, smart destination management, investment opportunities and partnerships between tour operators, hotels, technology developers and investors. Young innovators from both countries presented technology-based solutions to improve tourism services and visitor experiences.
Mohamed Osman, Mombasa County executive committee member for tourism, culture and trade, said the partnership creates commercial opportunities for businesses and communities along the Kenyan coast.
“Tourism is the lifeblood of the coast, and the business our operators, hoteliers and young people do with Uganda puts food on tables here,” Osman said. “The county government will continue to back this partnership, from the trade agreements signed today to the young innovators building the tools that will shape how the world experiences the coast.”
First held in 2022, the annual meeting was elevated from a conference to a summit this year to put more emphasis on decisions and measurable commitments. Organisers expect it to produce a communiqué setting out institutional responsibilities and delivery timelines, with progress to be reviewed at the 2027 edition.
The summit closed on 27 October with the presentation of its outcome document. This year’s edition also marks a decade since the Uganda Consulate opened in Mombasa.
Herbert Kiguli, Uganda’s consul general in Mombasa, said the next phase of cooperation should make it easier for citizens and businesses to operate across borders.
“Kenyan arrivals to Uganda and Ugandan arrivals to Kenya are both growing, and our two countries are complementary destinations, not competitors,” Kiguli said. “What we are expecting from Mombasa is a communiqué with practical steps that will make it easier for a young Ugandan or Kenyan to travel, to build a tourism business and to sell across borders.”
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