*says Visa-Free Policy Will Boost Trade, Integration, and Unity
By Michael Oche
The African Regional Organisation of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC-Africa), has congratulated the Government of Kenya following its recent decision to grant visa free entry for African citizens entering the country.
Our Correspondent reports that Kenya joins Rwanda, Mauritius, Benin, Senegal and Ghana in scrapping entry visas for African Citizens.
In a statement issued from it Lomé office and signed by General Secretary Akhator Joel Odigie, ITUC-Africa described the policy as a “bold and imaginative step” that reflects Kenya’s strong commitment to regional integration, economic cooperation, and people-centred development.
The visa-free policy, which took effect following its publication in Kenya Gazette Supplement No. 73 under Legal Notice No. 93, grants African citizens entry into Kenya without prior visas. The permitted stay ranges from 30 to 60 days, and up to six months for citizens of East African Community (EAC) countries. The policy, however, excludes nationals of Somalia and Libya.
The organisation noted that lifting visa restrictions directly supports the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) by enabling greater mobility of workers, trade, tourism, and cross-border business activities.
“This is a good step forward. Today we shall celebrate. Tomorrow, we shall continue the struggle for a united, safe, prosperous and just Africa,” said Akhator Joel Odigie.
The policy is seen as a win for African trade unions, who have long been in the vanguard of campaigns in favour of free movement of people across Africa by demanding that countries sign and implement the African Union Free Movement Protocol
ITUC-Africa General Secretary emphasised that dismantling visa barriers aligns with the longstanding advocacy of trade unions and civil society for greater regional integration and the free movement of African people.
He also called on other African governments to follow Kenya’s lead and take human-centred measures to further unite the continent.
Odigie said, “we are hopeful that the removal of entry visas for persons bearing African passports will inspire other African governments to take similar steps and make efforts that facilitate the mobility of African people within the continent.
“ITUC-Africa encourages other African governments to follow Kenya’s visionary example. We urge them to continue taking socio-economic, human-centred security measures and remain firmly committed to the collective ambition of a borderless, integrated, and united Africa.”
Highlighting the colonial history that shaped Africa’s modern borders, ITUC-Africa General underscored that such policies contribute to the “decolonisation of our borders” and bring the continent closer to the aspirations of the African Union’s Free Movement Protocol and Agenda 2063.
“ITUC-Africa reaffirms its strong support for all initiatives that dismantle artificial barriers among African peoples and bring us closer to the Africa We Want,” he said.
He explained that lifting of visa restrictions directly contributes to unlocking the continent’s full potential while reinforcing its shared values of unity, peace, and inclusive development
He said, “Regional integration has become an acknowledged part of Africa’s development agenda. With the surge of globalisation over the past two decades, it has become apparent to developing countries and regions that one of the critical responses to the challenges spawned by globalisation fundamentally lies in their willingness and capacity to pool resources and unite efforts in larger and stronger regional economic and political blocs.”
