DR Congo had on Wednesday, September 6, repealed the visa restrictions it had previously placed on Kenyans.
The Directorate General of Migration in the DR Congo had remarked that the directive, had in fact, been effective on the same day Kenya cancelled its visa requirements on the Congolese on September 1st, 2023.
A memorandum released on Wednesday, September 6, by the Directorate revealed that Kenyan countrymen will not be required to get visas before travelling to the DR Congo anymore.
This is the latest policy between the DR Congo and Kenya, in an attempt to facilitate the movement of people for satisfactory integration into the East African community to which the two countries belong.
DR Congo had remarked that this move could offer an opportunity into increasing the trade relations with Kenya, through which it ships in goods to eastern regions of the country.
With about a size of 2.4 million kilometre per square and a population of 100 million, the DR Congo is seen by Kenya to be a potential market for its banking and transport sector.
Not more than 10 percent of the population have bank accounts and only 13 percent of the citizens can access mobile financial services, according to official data.
To this effect, Kenya increased its investment in this [banking] sector with Equity Bank and KCB Bank already established in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
DR Congo had joined the East African community in May 2022, becoming the seventh member of the Community. It is however, yet to endorse some of the Community’s measures.
