President William Ruto has said he will lift visa requirements for all Africans entering Kenya before the end of the year.
“By the end of this year, no African will need a visa to enter Kenya. The time has come to understand the importance of doing trade between us,” said Ruto.
The Kenyan leader announced from the capital Brazzaville, Republic of Congo where he is attending a summit of the world’s three major forest basins namely; Amazon, Congo, and Borneo-Mekong Forest Basins.
“It is time we realize the importance of trading among ourselves and allowing goods, services, people and ideas to move freely across the continent,” he said.
President Ruto observed that trade among East African Community countries had grown significantly due to the removal of visa requirements and tariffs.
Ruto said that acknowledging and providing incentives to countries in tropical forest basins for forest protection is a smart climate action.
The Amazon basin in South America, the Congo basin in Central Africa, and the Borneo-Mekong basin in Southeast Asia collectively constitute 80 percent of the world’s rainforests and contain approximately two-thirds of its biodiversity.
These rainforests are not only vital for their local ecosystems but also play a global role in regulating the planet’s climate and sustaining life on Earth.