The Kenyan president was in Rwanda this week and the highlight of his two-day state visit was the signing of bilateral agreement in some nine areas of cooperation, an indication of better days for the people of both countries. Rwanda and Kenya are traditional allies, with the latter being the gateway for a sizeable volume of Rwanda’s imports and exports through the port of Mombasa. Rwanda is also a major export market for Kenya, where available figures show that in 2021, the country exported goods worth over $300m. With the world seeing the tail-end of Covid-19 and, hopefully all effects associated with the pandemic, it is imperative that countries move even faster to hasten economic recovery, including broadening the scope of engagement with allies. There is so much going on between both countries, be it through the bilateral front or the multilateral one. Both countries are members of different multinational bodies, most especially the East African Community. Currently, a Kenyan working in Rwanda does not have to pay for a work permit, and the same applies to Rwandans working in Kenya. This has allowed for an influx of many Kenyan professionals into the country and are working in different sectors of the economy. Also, a Kenyan can enter Rwanda using a national ID, a gesture that is also reciprocated in Kenya for Rwandan nationals. However, much needs to be done and the agreements whose signing was witnessed by the two heads of state will go a long way in cementing that historical relationship. Nonetheless, much effort must be put in easing trade between the two countries, with specific focus on Small and Medium Enterprises. The two countries should also take advantage of the revived diplomatic ties between Rwanda and Uganda – a common ally of the both– to renew the momentum of the Northern Corridor Integration Projects (NCIP) which will be key in easing trade along the trade route linking Rwanda to Mombasa port. The revival of NCIP should be reflected in the continued removal of Non-Tariff Barriers along this route and within the wider East African Community, which has now grown to seven countries.
