Kenya-Uganda: Kenyatta seeks a more friendly East African integration

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta has challenged East African states to facilitate the free movement of people and encourage business in the region for quick economic transformation.

Announcing that Kenya will expand its Mombasa port, Kenyatta told Uganda’s parliament on Monday that “East African borders must be friendly for East African people and investors for economic growth and job creation”.

It is not gold and oil that lies beneath our soil that will make us wealthy. It is our young people who will do it

According to Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, Kenyatta’s efforts in advancing regional integration has seen the number of days spent by traders transporting their goods to Kampala greatly reduced.

The transportation of containers from Mombasa Port to Kampala has been reduced from 18 days to 3 days.

Kenyatta also said that East African countries need to establish a strong security framework capable of stopping divisions and violence instigated by religion.

The region’s leaders, and the judiciary, need to have common standards in the fight against corruption if they are to make the region competitive with other parts of the world, urged the Kenyan leader.

“I warn, both in Kenya and Uganda, those who are involved in corruption. There must be robust institutions to defeat it. We in Kenya and Uganda must remain steadfast in fighting corruption,” he said.

“It is not gold and oil that lies beneath our soil that will make us wealthy. It is our young people who will do it.”

Kenyatta wants the region to encourage and assist the youth to become world class entrepreneurs.