Free transit visa on agenda as Zuma jets in

The ongoing visa row with South Africa will top the agenda as President Jacob Zuma arrives in Nairobi on Monday for a three-day visit.

State House spokesman Manoah Esipisu said on Sunday that President Uhuru Kenyatta will use the occasion to seek favourable visa terms for Kenyans.

Early this year, Kenya lobbied for elimination of a transit visa fee currently charged on its citizens passing through South African airports.

It also lobbied for the slashing of visa service fees from $71 (Sh7,100) to $49 (Sh4,900) , provision of three-year multiple entry visas for frequent travellers and issuance of 10-year multiple entry visa for  frequent business travellers and academics.

The deals also called for issuance of study visas covering the duration of study and extension of permanent residency visas to citizens studying within the critical skills category.

Kenya does not charge transit visa fees on South Africans or those who are visiting for less than 30 days.

“What President Kenyatta will now be seeking is to fast-track implementation of the favourable immigration regulations agreed upon earlier in the year,” said Mr Esipisu.

President Zuma and his entourage of multinational company executives will participate in a Kenya-South Africa business conference that pushes for free flow of capital, movement of people, services and goods.

The two leaders are also expected to discuss security issues and look into a plea by Kenya that costly tea levies be waived and restrictions on processed Kenyan products -soda ash and processed meat among others be removed.

Mr Kenyatta will also seek South Africa’s support to Foreign Affairs secretary Amina Mohamed’s candidature for the Africa Union chairman’s post, currently held by South Africa’s Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.