Kenya has taken a significant step towards promoting intra-African commerce by announcing plans to remove visa restrictions for African citizens traveling to the country for business purposes.
President William Ruto made the announcement during a session on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) in Nairobi. He apologized for the visa requirements and stated that Kenya supports the AfCFTA wholeheartedly and aims to remove any impediments to the movement of people across the continent.
Kenya had previously allowed African travelers to obtain visas upon arrival since November 2017, following the example set by Rwanda in promoting pan-Africanism. Nairobi has been a strong advocate for the elimination of trade restrictions between African nations to facilitate the free movement of people, products, and services, thereby integrating regional economic blocs.
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The effort to promote preferential trading began on January 1, 2021, and Kenya was selected as one of the nations to participate in the pilot phase of the AfCFTA Initiative on Guided Trade. Ghana, Cameroon, Egypt, Mauritius, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Tunisia were the other nations involved.
One of the challenges hindering intra-African commerce is the underdeveloped transportation systems across the continent. This contributes to the higher prices of products and services, making trade within Africa less profitable compared to trading with more industrialized continents like Europe.
By removing visa restrictions for businesspeople of African descent, Kenya aims to boost economic cooperation and enhance trade relations among African countries. This move aligns with the broader goal of the AfCFTA to create a single market and promote economic integration across the continent.
