Museveni hosts Ruto in closed-door meeting in Entebbe

President William Ruto and Ugandan counterpart Yoweri Museveni during a meeting in Entebbe. [State House, Uganda]

President William Ruto is meeting his Ugandan counterpart Yoweri Museveni in Entebbe, Uganda.

Sources who spoke to the Standard intimated that the two Heads of State were discussing a trade blockade.

In recent months, Kenya has restricted the issuance of permits needed by Ugandan processors to import dairy products into Kenya.

One of Uganda's largest processors, Brookside, trading under the Fresh Dairy brand, whose parent company is also the largest industry operator in Kenya, said it had not exported a single litre of milk to Kenya since the blockade began.

"The rising stockpiles of milk have impacted farm-gate prices of milk, which have dropped exponentially," Brookside Uganda General Manager Benson Mwangi told journalists in Kampala. Uganda's industry regulator, the Dairy Development Authority (DDA), says Kenyan authorities are limiting the number of export permits for powdered milk from the country.

Last week, former President Uhuru Kenyatta also met with Museveni at State House, Entebbe.

According to Museveni, Uhuru visited him in his capacity as the facilitator of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Peace Process.