The entry of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) into the East African Community (EAC) last year has been seen as an opportunity to increase the regional market by more 95m people.
This however, can only be a reality when there is free movement of people, goods and services as per the EAC protocols and treaties. Among the founding members of the regional block; Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya, the trade barrier on movement of people has not been a hurdle for a long time since no one requires a visa to travel around but it has been a challenge to DRC nationals and vice versa.
Now, Congolese nationals who have been easily accessing Uganda, will now freely travel to the coastal countries of Kenya and Tanzania after movement restrictions were recently waived by the Nairobi and Dar es Salaam administrations.
This comes to the delight of the EAC with the Secretariat hailing Kenya and Tanzania for the waiving of the prior visa requirements for visiting Congolese nationals.
In a spirit of reciprocation, the Kinshasa administration also lifted the visa restrictions for the Kenyan nationals on September 1, 2023 a week after President William Ruto’s government announced its decision on the Congolese nationals.
EAC Secretary General, Dr Peter Mathuki, said that allowing DRC citizens to travel freely to Kenya and Tanzania and vice versa is good for realisation provisions of the EAC Common Market Protocol, which among other freedoms and rights, provides for the free movement of persons and workers across the region.
Dr Mathuki said that the waiver of the visa requirements was a demonstration of political goodwill among the Partner States in promoting regional integration, adding that it would boost intra-regional trade and the welfare of EAC citizens.
“In addition to improving intra-regional trade, free movement of persons will promote the free movement of goods, labour, cultural exchange and domestic tourism in East and Central Africa,” said Dr. Mathuk.
While arguing for other members states of Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudan to follow suit in the spirit of reciprocity, Dr Mathuki added that; “this is a positive step towards consolidating the gains made in implementing the EAC Common Market Protocol and other stages in the integration process. It is set to expand trade and investment opportunities, and scale up socio-economic growth across the bloc,” he said.
Article 10 of the EAC Common Market Protocol states that citizens of EAC Partner States are at liberty to accept employment within the territories of Partner States other than their own.
“We call on other Partner States that have not yet waived visa requirements for DRC citizens to expedite the negotiations with the bloc’s newest member in line with the provisions of the Common Market Protocol on the free movement of persons and workers,” added Dr Mathuki.
Article 7 of the EAC Common Market Protocol stipulates that ‘EAC Partner States shall ensure non‐discrimination of the citizens of the other Partner States based on their nationalities by ensuring entry of citizens of the other Partner States into the territory of the Partner State without a visa and free movement of persons who are citizens of the other Partner States within the territory of the Partner State.’
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