The Democratic Republic of Congo has lifted visa requirements for Kenyans, reciprocating a gesture by Nairobi announced five days earlier.
The reciprocal gesture came barely a week after Kenya lifted visa restrictions for Congolese nationals.
The Directorate General of Migration in the DR Congo Roland Kashwantale Chihoza, on Wednesday,, September 6, in a circular, said the move was effective on the same day Kenya lifted its visa requirements on Congolese on September 1, 2023.
Chihoza said that the two countries had agreed to remove visa barriers to enhance trade and integration within the East African Community (EAC).
This is a new policy between the DRC and Kenya, both sides say, to facilitate the movement of people for better integration into the East African community to which both countries belong.
DR Congo officially joined the EAC last year as its seventh member, signing the Treaty of Accession at State House, Nairobi, with then EAC Chair and Kenya’s former President Uhuru Kenyatta.
The move followed DRC’s fulfillment of the conditions outlined in Articles 3 and 4 of the Treaty for the establishment of the EAC.
Kenya so far has visa-free agreements with five countries and is mulling over opening its doors to all African citizens.
Speaking during the just concluded African Climate Summit currently which took place at the Kenya International Convention Centre (KICC), President William Ruto said it was unfair to ask for visas from people who were coming back home.
“We are having a conversation as Kenyans that in a few months, we are seriously considering abolishing any visa requirements because it is unfair to ask anybody coming home for a visa,” the president said.
President Ruto’s reference to ‘home’ was in relation to Kenya’s renowned historical significance as the ‘Cradle of Humankind’, where Kenya has been a major hub for archaeological discoveries that contribute significantly to the narrative of human evolution.
There are no visa requirements for people traveling within East African countries.
In August, the government announced visa-free travel for Indonesians.
