Unions demand reforms at Busia border as traders bear cost of AfCFTA

Trade unions have called for urgent reforms at the Kenya-Uganda border to curb extortion, harassment and arbitrary enforcement, warning that Africa’s free trade agenda will have little meaning for ordinary traders if it does not improve their livelihoods.

The Central Organisation of Trade Unions (COTU-K) and the African Regional Organisation of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC-Africa) want the Government to introduce transparent charges, mandatory receipts and accessible complaints mechanisms to protect informal cross-border traders.

Speaking during the launch of the ‘Trade Unions in Africa Advancing Equitable AfCFTA Project’, COTU-K Assistant Secretary-General (Administration) Adams Barasa said the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) must deliver more than increased movement of goods across borders.

“We, the Central Organisation of Trade Unions (Kenya), the African Regional Organisation of the International Trade Union Confederation and trade union representatives from across Africa, reaffirm our commitment to an African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) that delivers decent work, industrialisation and social justice,” Barasa said.

The demand comes against the backdrop of difficult experiences reported by informal traders at Busia, where the promise of easier continental trade can be overshadowed by the everyday costs of doing business.

A July 2026 study by the Africa Labour Research and Education Institute on informal cross-border trade at Seme, Aflao and Busia found that unofficial payments, discretionary enforcement, sexual harassment and reliance on personal networks were undermining predictable trade.

At Busia, traders reported multiple charges and unofficial payments that reduced their earnings.

Barasa also said that some traders reported intimidation, threats of arrest, confiscation of goods, theft and fraud, while slow clearance, congestion and inadequate facilities disrupted trade.

“Persons with disabilities faced additional accessibility barriers,” he added.

The research also found limited awareness among traders of AfCFTA, its Women and Youth Protocol and mechanisms for lodging complaints.

For a small trader whose income depends on selling goods across the border, every additional charge or day spent waiting can directly affect the money available to take home.

Women and young traders face additional vulnerabilities, with sexual harassment among the concerns documented in the research.

COTU-K has called on the Ministries of Trade and Labour, the Kenya Revenue Authority and Busia County Government to engage workers and trader organisations on the findings.

Barasa said women, youth, informal workers and persons with disabilities must participate in decisions on AfCFTA and share fairly in its benefits.

He said trade expansion must uphold equality and safe work while protecting workers’ rights.

The unions are also calling for a simplified trade facilitation regime for informal cross-border traders, arguing that complex procedures can make it harder for small businesses to benefit from expanded markets.

Barasa said trade liberalisation alone could not transform African economies.

“Trade liberalisation alone cannot deliver structural transformation,” he said, calling for AfCFTA to support industrial policy, regional value chains, productive investment and skills development alongside social protection and environmental sustainability.

ITUC-Africa General Secretary Akhator Joel Odigie said the challenges facing traders at Busia demonstrated the need to put workers at the centre of continental trade policies.

“We must address the immediate issues that make life difficult for men and women on our continent,” Odigie said.

He said African governments needed to cooperate more closely on trade facilitation and industrial policies while ensuring that women and young people involved in cross-border trade were not left behind.

The unions want trade union representatives included in National Implementation Committees responsible for AfCFTA implementation and are calling for an AfCFTA Labour and Social Protocol.

They are also demanding implementation and funding of the AfCFTA Protocol on Women and Youth in Trade, as well as social protection, skills development, retraining and employment support for informal workers affected by trade-related restructuring.

Odigie said trade unions were ready to work with governments to ensure continental trade benefited workers.

“We want to partner with our government. We want to work with our government to leave a better future for everyone, just in a fair manner,” he said.

The unions say AfCFTA’s success should therefore not be measured only by the volume of goods traded.

“For traders at Busia, it should also mean predictable costs, safer borders, accessible services and secure livelihoods, while for workers across Africa it should translate into decent jobs and stronger productive capacity,” said the ITUC-Africa General Secretary.