President Paul Kagame was on February 3, hosted by his Kenyan counterpart Uhuru Kenyatta where they discussed bilateral and regional affairs. Kagame who was hosted at the State House in Nairobi on Thursday morning said in a tweet that “a lot was covered” during the productive ‘brief’ working visit. The two leaders also discussed a wide range of areas of cooperation between the two countries including trade and transport, according to Kenya’s state house. Also discussed are emerging issues concerning the region and the continent. Kagame’s visit comes a few days after Rwanda reopened the Gatuna border with Uganda, easing transportation of cargo from the Port of Mombasa in Kenya to Kigali. The move, according to the statement, was welcomed by President Kenyatta – who is also the current Chairperson of the Summit of the East African Community – saying that it will ease the movement of goods and people between the two neighbouring countries. Gatuna, one of the busiest borders in the region, had been shut in 2019 following a diplomatic row between Uganda and Rwanda. The consequences among others forced transporters to import through a longer route, the Port of Dar es Salaam. Important trading partner On trade, President Kenyatta said Rwanda’s strategic position in the region makes it an important trading partner to Kenya especially as a gateway to the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and the wider Great Lakes Region market. To enhance the bilateral trade between the two countries, however, President Kenyatta called on Rwanda to ‘diversify’ its imports from Kenya and continue taking advantage of the improved services at the Mombasa port to facilitate the movement of goods. “The two leaders also affirmed their commitment to working together to find lasting solutions to conflicts facing regional countries including Ethiopia, Sudan, South Sudan and Somalia, saying Kenya and Rwanda will continue to play a leading role in promoting dialogue and peace amongst the warring parties,” state house added.
