Kenya’s President, William Ruto, plans to abolish visa restrictions for African citizens traveling to Kenya for business. This will enhance intra-Africa commerce at a session on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AFCFTA) in Nairobi on Monday.
The move aligns with Kenya’s support for the African Continental Free Trade Area (AFCFTA) and aims to remove impediments to the movement of people within the continent.
By removing trade restrictions and improving transportation systems, Kenya aims to promote the free flow of products, reduce prices, and make intra-African commerce more profitable.
President Ruto apologized for the visa requirements to public and business sector leaders “I want to promise you that this might be the last time you are looking for a visa to come to Kenya because of two reasons. Number one, because this is home, and number two, we support wholeheartedly the AFCFTA. We must remove any impediments to the movement of people around our continent,” he added.
Nairobi has long advocated for removing trade restrictions between African nations to facilitate the free movement of people, products, and services through integrating regional economic blocs.
As part of the efforts to promote the flow of products under preferential trading, which began on January 1, 2021, Kenya was one of the nations chosen to take part in the pilot phase of the AFCFTA Initiative on Guided Trade last year. Ghana, Cameroon, Egypt, Mauritius, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Tunisia made up the other nations.
