Kenya moves to strip trade barriers at Migori border crossing
Nyanza
By
David Njaaga
| May 11, 2026
Kenya has launched talks to eliminate non-tariff barriers (NTBs) at the Isebania-Sirari One-Stop Border Post (OSBP), a crossing that links the Northern Corridor to landlocked markets across East Africa.
Principal Secretary Caroline Karugu of the State Department for East African Community met Migori Governor Ochilo Ayacko at the governor's office alongside county executive officials and technical officers to advance the agenda.
"The Isebania-Sirari OSBP is a vital link to our regional markets. My meeting with Governor Ochilo today progressed the agenda of eliminating NTBs in Migori County. Migori is a critical gateway to the EAC," said Karugu.
The border post, sitting on the Kenya-Tanzania boundary, channels cargo from the Port of Mombasa to inland markets in Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi and beyond.
Migori County also serves as a hub for micro, small and medium enterprises that rely on simplified cross-border trade regimes, adding a local economic dimension to what is otherwise treated as a transit corridor issue.
READ MORE
Kiosk economy: How small traders fuelled Safaricom's Sh100b profit
Beyond promises, budget must put money into Kenyans' pockets
Dangote favours Mombasa over Tanzania's Tanga for Sh2tr oil refinery
Pipeline politics: Why East Africa's joint refinery dream faces slippery path
Debt burden: Inside Treasury's plan to trap Kenya with billions in hidden debt
State plans major audit shakeup to stem graft, wastage of funds
Creative economy key to job creation, says PS Fikirini Jacobs
Beyond the Silicon Savannah: Why Africa's AI revolution must start 'mashinani'
NTBs, which include arbitrary inspection fees, duplicate clearance procedures and selective document demands, have long undermined the EAC's free movement of goods and services despite treaty commitments to remove them.