Uganda Demands Kenya’s Immediate Release of Seized Lato Milk Exports

By Max Patrick Ocaido

The Ugandan government has protested to the High Commission of the Republic of Kenya over recent restrictions of its milk and milk products to neighbouring Kenya.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday petitioned the Kenyan government protesting the recent restrictions imposed on the importation of Uganda milk and milk products.

The Ministry also expressed concerns about the illegal seizure of Ugandan made milk under the “Lato” Brand by Kenyan authorities on allegations that it is contraband, counterfeit and substandard.

“This has resulted not only into confiscation of 54,310kg of powder milk valued at $203,630 and 262,632litres 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 neighborliness 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 statement reads in part.

It is alleged that on January 02, 2020, Kenyan authorities seized 43,000kgs of milk powder and 21,600litres of milk on January 07. Later, on January 11, they seized 79,200 liters of milk and seizures from authorized distributors of Lato brand totaling to 11,310kgs of milk powder and 161,832 litres.

The Ministry further noted that the illegal seizures were executed despite the fact that the goods had been cleared for entry by the Kenyan Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, Kenya Revenue Authority, Kenya Dairy Board and Kenya Bureau of Standards among others.

“The Ministry would like to request the government of Kenya to immediately released the seized consignments of Lato branded milk as they were duly cleared by the relevant Kenyan government bodies for importation into Kenya and are not contraband, substandard and counterfeit as alleged,” the statements reads.  

The Ugandan government has also urged the Kenyan government to cease any operations targeting Ugandan made milk exported to Kenya and also refrain from any actions against Uganda’s exports to Kenya, be it milk or any other products, that contravene the EAC Customs Union Protocol and Common Market Protocol.