Ugandan traders who export fruits to Kenya have threatened to abandon the business due to the high rate of theft in Kenyan markets, The Daily Monitor reported on Saturday.

The exporters said they have lost most of their capital in the business due to unprofessional conduct by Kenyan market brokers and vendors who steal fruits before they reach their destination.

"The biggest problem we are facing in the Kenyan market is theft. The stealing starts at the border were police officers sometimes take a few in broad daylight and you have nothing to do. But theft is mostly in the markets where vendors steal the fruits," said Hussein Kabanda, a fruit exporter, adding that more fruits are stolen during the process of offloading from the lorries.

Kenya's climate is not favorable for fruit growing and as a result, the country depends more on the commodity exports from Uganda.

Major markets include Machakos, Wakurima, Isilli and Nakuru, where fruits like watermelons, bananas and passion fruits are on high demand.

Kabanda said Uganda would be reaping a lot from the good prices on the Kenyan market if it were not for the thefts. He also cited disorganization in the markets, adding that it is difficult for Ugandans to sell the fruits without a Kenyan broker.

"If you try to sell directly to the buyers, then they all boycott to buy the fruits until you agree to get a broker to sell them for you. This is the start of the theft where some pieces disappear and at the end, the balance sheet never balances," he said.

As a result, he said many exporters have decided to abandon gazetted markets and are now supplying their commodities to supermarkets and hotels.

Sabiiti Golooba, the Chairman Offloading Department at Buscar Uganda Ltd, a bus company that treks the Nairobi-Kampala route, said they are also aware of the issue.

"We have received a lot of complaints from the exporters. Traders now rarely export fruits to Kenya because of that problem even in Mbale district in eastern Uganda, which is the major center for bananas exported to Kenya," Golooba said.

Although the Public Relations Officer Gateway Coaches Limited, Chris Otim, said his company merely transports people and goods to Kenya rather than exports, he said he has also heard of the exporters' complaints.

"It is true we have also realized a downfall of clients who transport fruits to Kenya," Otim said.

Kabanda called upon the Kenyan Police to come to their rescue and save them from more losses.

Source: Xinhua