Tanzania overtakes Kenya in Uganda trade, redrawing East Africa’s economic map

• Tanzania becomes Uganda’s top regional import source
• Shift driven by gold, bulk staples and Central Corridor logistics

DAR ES SALAAM, TANZANIA – Tanzania has displaced Kenya as Uganda’s leading supplier of goods, marking one of the region’s most dramatic trade shifts in decades.

Data from the Bank of Uganda and the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) show the change accelerating sharply over three years. Uganda imported $475.95 million worth of goods from Tanzania in the year to June 2023, compared with Kenya’s $831.96 million. But by June 2024, the trend reversed: Tanzania’s exports to Uganda soared to $1.81 billion, nearly four times the previous year’s level, while Kenya’s rose modestly to $858.1 million.