Nairobi - President Uhuru Kenyatta has clinched perks for Kenyans during his three day State visit to Botswana, including negotiating for better migrant laws for Kenyans working in the southern African country.
Botswana will review its restrictive migrant laws for Kenyans’ work permits as well as allow more Kenya Airways flights, said a statement from the President’s office on Tuesday.
The statement said that Botswana’s President Ian Khama asked his ministers for Labour and Home Affairs (Immigration) to examine and resolve problems affecting Kenyans seeking employment in Botswana.
President Khama also said he would dispatch his ministers for Trade and Investment, and Agriculture, to Nairobi to explore areas of cooperation — with a specific mandate to boost investment by Botswana in East Africa’s largest economy.
Being one of the world’s top ten largest producers of diamonds, Botswana would seek to assist Kenya to build its nascent mining sector, and also assist Kenya draw up a “very robust response” to poaching in order to stem the slaughter of elephants.
President Kenyatta had specifically asked that Botswana examines its migrant laws in order to encourage skilled Kenyans to work there freely.
President Khama also accepted a request by President Kenyatta to review an air services agreement to allow Kenya Airways to fly more frequently and to more destinations in Botswana.
President Kenyatta met the Kenyan Diaspora in Botswana and assured them that their host government would address the issue of work permits.
“I have already met President Khama and he has promised to solve the problem as soon as possible,” said the President when he addressed Kenyan professionals and businessmen who gathered at the Travel Lodge Conference Centre in Gaborone.
The Kenyans included those who work for the Botswana government and other professionals in private practice including doctors, engineers and architects.
Kenyatta also promised that the government would ensure voting rights for all Kenyans living in the Diaspora would become a reality.
“In keeping with the Constitution of Kenya, we are seeking to actualise the right of all Kenyan citizens to participate in the democratic processes of the country. I am pleased to inform you that you, and all Kenyans in the Diaspora, will be able to vote in the next general elections which are scheduled to take place in August 2017,” said the President.
In his push to advance business opportunities, President Kenyatta also opened the Botswana-Kenya Business Seminar where he urged for more intra-Africa trade.
The President said it was regrettable that African countries are yet to exploit the immense business opportunities that exist within the continent to bring more prosperity.
“I deeply believe in the value and need for greater intra-African trade which is why Kenya is part of the Tripartite Free Trade Area agreement along with Botswana, and which is why I am here today,” said President Kenyatta.
The business seminar organised by the Botswana and Investment Trade Centre in conjunction with the Kenya Government brought together more than 200 business people from both countries.
President Kenyatta said the trade volume between Kenya and Botswana should be higher than it currently is, given the fact that the two countries have exchanged human capital for more than 50 years.
For many decades Kenya has trained Botswana government officials in public administration. Kenya has also trained many Botswana nationals in other fields including railway engineering, agriculture, journalism, and defense, among others.
African News Agency