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Cultivating Cultural Intelligence in Negotiation
By Elizabeth R. Auma K I have participated in several regional and global engagements, and one thing has always been clear: cultures differ. I believe it is within this diversity that the true beauty of negotiation is found. Engaging with someone whose culture is new to you stretches your awareness, patience, and sensitivity. The food…
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Reciprocity: The trade negotiator’s game changer
Elizabeth R. Auma K Reciprocity The practice of exchanging things with others for mutual benefit, especially privileges granted by one country to another. Last week, we reflected on sovereignty: the right and responsibility of a nation to protect its interests, borders, and people. However, sovereignty, on its own, does not sustain relationships between nations. This…
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The power of precedent
By Elizabeth R. Auma K “Chairperson, in 2015, we were in a similar situation and passed the decision to which I make reference. It is only necessary that we do the same.” Such a statement is common during Policy discussions among Countries. At the close of 2025, I participated in a regional meeting that placed…
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Balancing Trade and Taxes: A Policy Dilemma
Elizabeth R.Auma. K Every time I find myself talking trade policy, instinctively I will always have a line like, ‘…..Government is committed to ensuring a conducive environment for trade’. This statement to the ears of the traders is exciting and reassuring. Yet the same government is committed to collecting taxes from the same traders. It…
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Negotiating Fair Terms: Insights for Life and Career
By Elizabeth R. Auma K. I recently represented my country in a regional meeting of twenty-one member states, deliberating on trade matters and how best we could become a region of excellence. There is always something extraordinary about sitting across the table from seasoned experts and negotiators, men and women armed with history, expertise and…
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Letter to a young trader
Dear young trader, I have been reading through several of your documents. I admire your determination to step into regional and global markets. I observed from your write up that you took time to study and appreciate the available open markets. Your zeal ignites a desire in me to keep learning. It drives me to…
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The quiet power of trade policy
By Elizabeth R. Auma K; A Heartbeat in Every Policy As I walked through Kalerwe market recently, a young lad crossed my path carrying a burden too heavy for his age. He was hawking ‘nsenene’, Uganda’s beloved seasonal delicacy of grasshoppers. With the end-of-year rains, this God-sent treat appears almost mysteriously, and then it disappears…
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Five common mistakes we make in Trade policy development
By Elizabeth R. Auma K, A Heartbeat in Every Policy My very first encounter with Trade Policy development was during the review of the Cooperative Society Act 1991. It was a deep analysis class. Subsequent encounters with policy development offered deep insight. These include Trade in Services, the Competition and Consumer Protection 2014, the National…
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Lessons Learned from Uganda’s Competition Law Journey
Trade policy is not an event. It is a journey of ideas, people, and persistence. Over the past fifteen years, I have had the privilege of witnessing Uganda’s trade policy landscape evolve. The landscape was shaped by men and women who sat where I sit. Among these milestones, the Competition Law, 2023 stands out to…
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Mama Sarah: The Real Face of Trade Policy
As I walked home one evening, I glanced at the woman selling tomatoes by the roadside. At first thought, one might conclude that Mama (Mummy) Sarah who runs a small tomato stall in the market knows little about trade policy. Perhaps she doesn’t. At least not in the way the trade analysts frame it with…
A heartbeat in every policy
