President Kenyatta said his talks with Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema, who was visiting on Wednesday, focused on opportunities to build on strong ties of friendship as well as trade and economic ties, including removing obstacles to trade.
“In this context, we have agreed to address prevailing bottlenecks, including addressing some tariff and non-tariff barriers that prevent our people from enjoying the freedom of trade with each other,” said President Kenyatta.
The Kenyan leader spoke last night at a state banquet he and First Lady Margaret Kenyatta hosted in honor of Zambian President Hichilema at Government House in Nairobi.
President Kenyatta noted that he had also agreed with President Hichilema that the ministers responsible for trade from both countries will work together to expeditiously address outstanding tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade.
“So this visit (by President Hichilema) is nothing more than a visit to strengthen and enhance cooperation between our two countries as we seek to deepen that partnership for the mutual benefit of our respective peoples,” President Kenyatta said.
Noting that Kenya and Zambia were among the first two countries to sign and ratify the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), President Kenyatta affirmed Kenya‘s commitment to work with Zambia and other African countries to improve ease of doing business.
“And I want to assure you that the Kenyan government will continue to work with its partners in Zambia and across the African continent to continually remove barriers to trade, continue to improve the ease of doing business, continue to open our borders to our brothers and sisters around the world. continent,” the president said.
He encouraged Zambian investors not only to make Kenya their preferred investment destination, but also to look to their Kenyan counterparts as their preferred investment partners.
For his part, President Hichilema agreed on the need for Kenya and Zambia to work together to eradicate barriers to trade and investment between the two countries.
He said the time has come for the two countries to trade directly with each other instead of going through a third party.
“…how strange that sometimes we (Zambia) trade goods from Kenya through Europe and vice versa. Really? Makes sense? Absolutely not. That’s what we want to fix.
“So, President Kenyatta, thank you for giving us this opportunity to continue on the path traveled by those who came before us. We know that he is doing it for the people of Kenya, the people of Zambia and for Africa,” President Hichilema said.
The Zambian leader emphasized the need to ensure signed agreements and MOUs are implemented as the two countries move to redefine the way they work with each other to reduce the cost of doing business with each other.
Presidential candidate Azimio La Umoja One-Kenya Raila Odinga, senior government officials and members of the diplomatic corps also attended the state banquet.
