Kenya and Uganda deepened their economic partnership on Wednesday, signing eight memoranda of understanding during President Yoweri Museveni’s state visit to Nairobi. The agreements span transport, mining, fisheries, agriculture, urban development, tourism, trade and quality assurance, and aim to remove persistent non-tariff barriers hampering cross-border commerce. President William Ruto said the two neighbours will jointly develop what he described as the region’s largest steel factory to cut reliance on imports and supply export markets. He added that an extension of Kenya’s Standard Gauge Railway from Naivasha toward Uganda is scheduled to start later this year, improving access to the Democratic Republic of Congo and Central African Republic corridors. The leaders also announced a settlement of the long-running Migingo Island dispute in Lake Victoria and agreed to cooperate on joint mineral exploitation and blue-economy projects. Ruto is expected to travel to Uganda for the steel plant’s groundbreaking ceremony, underscoring the countries’ commitment to fast-tracking the new ventures.