President William Ruto declared on Monday that following bilateral discussions with Joko Widodo, the leader of Indonesia, Kenya had removed visa requirements for holders of Indonesian passports.
Following the discussion at State House in Nairobi, Ruto stated at a press conference that it was critical to gradually remove the visa requirements for Indonesians to enter Kenya, in keeping with Kenya’s open door policy.
“On our part as Kenya, we have taken the decision to extend visa-free entry not only to holders of diplomatic and service passports but also to all holders of Indonesian passports,” he said.
Ruto and Widodo’s discussions touched on trade and investment as well as collaboration in higher education, basic education, and vaccine development.
Nairobi and Jakarta inked a Letter of Intent and four Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) to deepen cooperation on fostering investment flows between the two nations.
Kenya promised to negotiate a preferential trade agreement with Indonesia concurrently. According to President Ruto, the accord complies with continental trade standards as well as those of the East African Community (EAC).
“We have additionally discussed the importance of entering a Bilateral Investment Treaty that will provide a stable and predictable investment environment which is a precondition for accelerated Private Secretor Investment. We have tasked our joint teams to finalize the elaboration of this instrument within the next 90 days,” said Ruto.
President Widodo’s visit followed Kenyan trade minister Moses Kuria’s visit to Indonesia in May, during which he met a delegation to explore business partnerships between the two states.