A recent trade deal between Presidents Uhuru Kenyatta and Yoweri Museveni of Kenya and Uganda, respectively, during the former’s State visit to Uganda, has been criticised by some in East Africa’s largest economy.

The bilateral agreement would allow Uganda to export sugar to Kenya while the latter would export beef and dairy products to its western neighbour.

Deals that allow East Africa and indeed Africa to trade with each other are progressive and should be supported.Kenya and Uganda, alongside Burundi, Tanzania and Rwanda, constitute the East African Community (EAC), one of the most dynamic and advanced regional economic communities on the African continent.

With a combined market of 150 million people, each EAC member state stands to gain more when these countries are not only working together, as a bloc, on the continental and global stages, but also trading with each other.

We are stronger together in every aspect of life.

While individual states are expected to take the necessary measures to strengthen their respective industries, it’s counterproductive to put more emphasis on protectionism.

Rather, they should seek alternative means to keep their domestic businesses not only afloat, but competitive in the wider region and beyond.

EAC should also consider leveraging the benefits of comparative advantage since no country can be the best at everything.

Rather than adopt a blanket and prohibitive approach to trading with other African states, let alone with the other EAC partners, countries should devise more rational and inclusive alternatives to spur domestic growth while allowing for integration – and its attendant benefits – to thrive.

With official figures putting total intra-EAC export trade at just US$3.5 billion in 2013, there is need for the EAC Secretariat and member states to openly discuss this matter with the view of increasing trade volumes between the member states without individual nations and their peoples losing out.

A win-win outcome is achievable.

All said and done, there are more advantages than disadvantages to trading with each other as EAC partner states.