Preparations are in high gear for the official commissioning of the bilateral One Stop Border Post (OSBP) at Suam on the Kenya-Uganda border. Kenyan President William Ruto and Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni are set to jointly inaugurate the facility.
On Wednesday, a delegation of Kenya’s top government officials announced that the construction of the facility, which had previously stalled, has now been completed and is ready for commissioning within the next month.
The delegation revealed that both Kenya and Uganda are working closely to prepare for the official opening of the two new OSBPs—one on the Kenyan side and the other on the Ugandan side.
Interior Principal Secretary Dr. Raymond Omollo, who led the delegation to inspect the project, confirmed that while the facility is operational, it is not yet running at full capacity.
“We are here to assess the project, and I can confirm that it is operational. However, we expect it to operate at full capacity after its commissioning by the two Heads of State,” Dr. Omollo said.
The Principal Secretary, accompanied by East African Community (EAC) Principal Secretary Esther Karugu and Deputy Inspector General of Police Eliud Lagat, emphasized that the project would help alleviate congestion at the Busia and Malaba customs border posts.
“This strategic infrastructure will significantly ease pressure at our two border posts, improving the flow of traffic, goods, and people,” Dr. Omollo added.
He also highlighted that the government has allocated funds to build additional facilities, including housing units, a hospital, and a school, to support services in the border town. These developments will be implemented soon.
The bilateral project was initiated after former President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya and President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda signed an agreement in Mombasa in 2019.
The Sh100 million project is part of a broader Sh4.6 billion bilateral initiative funded by the African Development Bank (ADB). This includes the tarmacking of 42 kilometers of the Kitale-Endebess-Suam road and the construction of a market in Kitale town.
Dr. Omollo revealed that the project had faced logistics and procurement challenges, including a cash crunch, which caused delays in its completion. Initially scheduled for completion in 2022, work was halted in 2024 when the contractor suspended operations due to unpaid dues.
On her part, EAC Principal Secretary Esther Karugu stated that the new infrastructure will boost trade not only between Kenya and Uganda but also serve as a gateway to other East African countries, including Tanzania and South Sudan.
She pointed out that Uganda is Kenya’s major trade partner, with trade between the two countries reaching Sh125 billion last year. Karugu added that the new facility would enhance their trading capacity.
“Our vision is to increase and promote intra-regional trade within East Africa. Currently, we are trading at about 12.1%, but we aim to push that figure to around 50% across East African countries,” she said.
Karugu also emphasized that infrastructure is a key development pillar that will strengthen trade and business ties between Kenya and Uganda.
This multibillion-shilling project, launched in 2019 by then-President Uhuru Kenyatta and Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, was conceived as a strategic cross-border gateway between Kenya and Uganda.
