The United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and Burundi's ruling party, CNDD-FDD, have agreed to strengthen their cooperation and exchange experiences on party building as Kenya and Burundi seek to deepen political relations.
UDA Secretary General Hassan Omar met with CNDD-FDD Secretary General Révérien Ndikuriyo at the UDA Headquarters in Nairobi on Wednesday, September 9, where the two leaders held discussions on a range of issues affecting relations between the two parties and their respective countries.
Central to the meeting was the working relationship between UDA and CNDD-FDD, with the two ruling parties agreeing to deepen their engagement and learn from each other's experiences in party building.
"The discussions centered on strengthening relations between the two countries, with UDA and CNDD-FDD agreeing to cooperate and learn from each other on Party building," UDA stated in a statement after the meeting.
According to UDA, the agreement signals closer cooperation between the ruling parties of Kenya and Burundi, particularly in strengthening their respective political organisations.
The leaders also discussed the wider relationship between Kenya and Burundi, highlighting cooperation in trade, investment and the free movement of people and goods within the East African Community (EAC).
"Kenya and Burundi continue to enjoy close cooperation, with our two countries working together within the wider East African Community (EAC) on trade and investment, and with the free movement of people and goods central to this relationship," the party added.
The situation of undocumented Burundian nationals living in Kenya also featured prominently in the discussions. Hassan assured the Burundian delegation of the government's commitment to helping regularise the stay of affected nationals.
Ndikuriyo, on his part, expressed appreciation for the hospitality Kenya has extended to Burundian citizens living and working in the country.
The meeting comes amid heightened scrutiny of foreign nationals and businesses operating in Kenya, a development that has raised concerns among some Burundians about their ability to remain, work and conduct business legally in the country.
According to Omar, Kenya remains committed to maintaining strong ties with Burundi and advancing regional integration through the EAC, where the free movement of people and goods remains a key pillar of cooperation.
Burundi Nationals' Situation in Kenya
On Monday and Tuesday, hundreds of Burundian nationals reportedly flocked to their embassy in Nairobi seeking travel documents and other assistance amid fears of harassment.
The trend continued on Wednesday, with hundreds more visiting the embassy as they sought help to travel back to Bujumbura.
The concerns emerged following remarks by President William Ruto indicating that foreigners involved in small-scale businesses, including hawking, should cease such operations.
However, Ruto later announced a 90-day grace period to allow affected foreign nationals to regularise their immigration status, work permits, business registration and licensing before the government begins stricter enforcement of the requirements.
"Over the next 90 days, the Government will conduct an orderly regularisation exercise to facilitate compliance," read a statement from State House shared on Tuesday, September 8.
During the 90-day period, the government assured that its agencies would provide guidance and ensure the requirements are applied fairly, consistently and without discrimination, according to the statement.
