Botswana to review immigration laws, allow more KQ flights after Uhuru visit

Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta with his Botswana counterpart Ian Khama. The Kenyan leader is in Botswana for a three-day state visit. PHOTO | PSCU

What you need to know:

  • Kenya has trained Botswana government officials in public administration.
  • Botswana would also assist Kenya build its mining sector and draw up a “very robust response” to poaching.

GABORONE

Botswana will review its laws that make it difficult for Kenyans to acquire work permits.

Botswana President Ian Khama said he has asked his ministers for labour and home affairs to examine and review the restrictions that have been a hurdle to Kenyans seeking to work in the country.

President Khama also accepted a request by President Uhuru Kenyatta to review an air services agreement to allow Kenya Airways to fly more frequently and to more destinations in Botswana.

The Botswana leader also said he would soon dispatch his ministers for trade, investment and agriculture to Nairobi to explore areas of cooperation, with a specific mandate to boost investment by Botswana in Kenya.

Botswana would also assist Kenya to build its mining sector and draw up a “very robust response” to poaching, he said.

The southern African nation has many decades' experience in mining and is one of the largest producer of diamonds.

The announcement follows President Kenyatta’s three-day state visit to Botswana.

President Kenyatta had asked Botswana to examine its migrant laws to allow skilled Kenyans to get work permits.

On Tuesday night, President Kenyatta met the Kenyan diaspora in Botswana and assured them that the Botswana government would soon address the issue of work permits.

HUMAN CAPITAL

In his push to advance business opportunities, President Kenyatta on Tuesday morning opened the Botswana-Kenya Business Seminar, where he called for more intra-Africa trade.

The President said it was regrettable that African countries are yet to exploit 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,” 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.

The day-long conference is aimed at exploring profitable business partnerships.

President Kenyatta said the trade volume between Kenya and Botswana should be higher than it is currently given that the two countries have exchanged human capital for more than 50 years.

Kenya has trained Botswana government officials in public administration.

To date, Botswana citizens continue to undergo training in Kenya in areas such as agriculture, medicine, economics, meteorology, defence, aviation and community development.