Kenya and Tanzania to recognise each other’s food radiation certificates to cut border delays

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Kenya and Tanzania have set up a joint technical working group to draft, within three months, a Mutual Recognition Agreement under which each country would accept the other’s radioanalysis certificates for foodstuffs, a move meant to cut duplicate testing and delays at the border, The Star reported. The agencies involved are the Kenya Nuclear Regulatory Authority (KNRA) and the Tanzania Atomic Energy Commission (TAEC).

What is radioanalysis certification?

Radioanalysis tests whether food and other goods contain radioactive substances above safe limits. Both countries require certificates for some imported foodstuffs. When each side insists on its own tests, traders pay twice and perishable goods can sit at the border.

What the agreement would do

• Harmonise regulatory requirements between KNRA and TAEC.
• Align conformity assessment procedures.
• Let goods certified in one country move across the border without repeat testing, while keeping safety standards.
• End with a memorandum of understanding between the two agencies.

“There has been hue and cry over trade barriers, which we are determined to help eliminate,” said KNRA Director General James Keter, who met TAEC CEO Prof Najat Kassim Mohammed in Nairobi.

Why it matters for Kenya Tanzania trade

Bilateral trade between Kenya and Tanzania reached US$860.3 million (about KSh111.1 billion) last year, across all goods. Kenya imports farm produce such as grains and rice from Tanzania, while Kenyan manufacturers sell processed foods and other products there. Non-tariff barriers, including duplicate certification, have long raised costs and caused spoilage of perishables in the East African Community.

What traders should do now

• Keep complying with current KNRA and TAEC certificate requirements until the agreement is signed and in force.
• Talk to your clearing agent about which products need radioanalysis certificates.
• Watch for the MoU, expected after the three-month drafting period.

This is part of wider work to make regional trade smoother; read about Kenya’s push for harmonised commodity standards and warehouse receipts.

FAQ

Which agencies are involved?

The Kenya Nuclear Regulatory Authority and the Tanzania Atomic Energy Commission.

When will the agreement be ready?

The working group has three months to draft it, after which an MoU is expected.

Updated October 31, 2026.