EAC Secretary General and EALA Women Caucus Visit Namanga One Stop Border Post (OSBP) for Oversight on Challenges Faced by Cross-Border Women Traders

EAC Secretary General and EALA Women Caucus Visit Namanga One Stop Border Post (OSBP) for Oversight on Challenges Faced by Cross-Border Women Traders

Written on 12 September 2025. Posted in Customs

East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 12th September, 2025: A high-level oversight mission led by H.E. Veronica Nduva, Secretary General, East African Community (EAC), and Hon. Amb. Fatuma Ndangiza, Secretary General, East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) Women Caucus, accompanied by other members of EALA Women Caucus including Hon. Falhada Iman Dekow (Kenya), Hon. Zippora Kering (Kenya), Hon. Dr. Gladness Salema (URT) and Hon. Nadra Juma Mohamed (URT), visited the Kenya/Tanzania Namanga One Stop Border Post (OSBP) to assess the challenges facing women engaged in cross-border trade across the Namanga border.

The visit was conducted in collaboration with the EAC Secretariat and a broad coalition of border authorities, development partners, and women traders from both sides of the Namanga border. This initiative builds on prior engagements, including the Namanga border initiative, and reaffirms the region's commitment to gender-inclusive growth, regional integration, and sustainable development.

Enroute to Namanga, the delegation visited a temporary waiting area for trucks located in Longido district and engaged with truck drivers on the challenges they face in the course of their work. The drivers noted the need to address the delays in processing times as well as enhancing the infrastructure and amenities, such as running water and washrooms at the waiting area. The Longido temporary waiting area is an interim solution as construction of the Namanga parking site nears completion.

The Honourable members then proceeded to Namanga One Stop Border Post, where they held a town hall meeting with women traders and students.

The women traders, represented by leaders from both sides of the Namanga border, raised concerns about the ongoing barriers to cross-border trade, including the lack of shades for shelter from the sun and to protect their children and goods during the rainy season; challenges with temporary passes as well as the lack of facilities to accommodate disabled women traders at the border. The women traders requested the EAC to explore modalities of providing shades at border points to safeguard and support traders. The traders further expressed gratitude to Customs Officers for their ongoing efforts to facilitate cross-border trade.

The Secretary General and the Members of EALA stressed that women constitute a significant portion of cross-border trade, about 60% of activity, making them primary earners for many EAC families and a vital driver of regional economic growth. The delegation noted that the overarching goal of regional integration remains unity, to be one people, with easy border crossings that support both small and medium-sized enterprises and the participation of both men and women in trade.

"Women traders remain the backbone of cross-border commerce, driving livelihoods, strengthening value chains, and enhancing regional resilience," noted Hon. Amb. Fatuma Ndangiza. "Listening to the challenges of intra-EAC trade, especially those faced by truck drivers, and women traders, is essential as we work to craft laws that address traders' needs," she added.

EAC Secretary General, H.E Veronica Nduva reminded participants that the EAC is a people-centred community and emphasised the importance of the Customs Union in advancing the region's economic development, particularly for landlocked countries that rely on ports to receive goods.

"It is important to listen personally to understand the real picture. The work and contributions of traders drive the EAC economy. Intra-EAC trade is growing, yet traders continue to face challenges in delivering services across the region. We must consider local cultural practices and explore shade structures to support small businesses, creating a comfortable environment for traders, including women and families, who work at border posts," remarked the Secretary General.

The EALA Members of Parliament noted that cross-border traders, especially women, face a constellation of impediments, including regulatory complexities, limited access to finance, delays in attaining information, and a lack of gender-responsive service delivery at border points.

The oversight mission aims to identify these barriers, surface viable solutions, and outline a clear roadmap for action. The activity is organised in five phases: data collection and stakeholder consultations; policy and process review; public-private dialogue to advance commitments; recommendations and roadmap with timelines; and monitoring and evaluation to track progress over time.

Expected outcomes include a comprehensive report detailing barriers and enablers for women in cross-border trade within the EAC, policy recommendations to streamline regulatory processes and improve access to finance, and a concrete implementation roadmap with clearly defines roles and milestones for EAC institutions and stakeholders. The initiative also seeks to strengthen networks between women traders and policymakers to sustain advocacy and collaboration.

As a closing note, the EAC-EALA delegation distributed to sanitary pads and baby wipes to the women traders in attendance as part of the community-focused Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

The Honourable Members of the EALA Women Caucus are set to continue engaging with various stakeholders to share the concerns raised by women traders, in an effort to find solutions to facilitate cross-border trade.

About EALA Women Caucus:

The EALA Women Caucus is a dedicated group within the East African Legislative Assembly that champions women's leadership, representation, and participation in regional governance and economic development. Its mission is to promote gender equality, advocate for women's rights, and ensure women's perspectives inform regional policy, trade, security, and development across the EAC. Strategically, the Caucus aims to make regional integration inclusive and supportive of livelihoods and rights for women, through notable activities such as border-community engagement, oversight missions, policy advocacy, and capacity-building in partnership with the EAC Secretariat and other stakeholders.

For more information, Contact:

Nicodemus Ajak Bior
Senior Public Relations Officer (SPRO)
East African Legislative Assembly
Arusha, Tanzania
Tel: +255-768-885-633/ +254 729-157-207
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