Kenya-Burundi Bilateral Relations
- Kenya’s relations with Burundi as with other EAC partner states are warm and cordial. They are not only historical but are defined by the indispensable need to work together within the spirit of the EAC for mutual benefit of the region.
- Both Countries have resident Ambassadors in each other’s capitals. The Kenyan Embassy in Bujumbura was established in December 2007.
- Regional Cooperation: The two countries cooperate at regional level as they are members of a number of regional organizations namely; the East African Community (EAC), International Conference of the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), common Market for the Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and the African Union (AU).
Bilateral Cooperation
- The two countries continue to cooperate in various areas of socio-economic and political development anchored on the Joint Permanent Commission for Cooperation (JPCC) signed in May 2008, as the main framework of bilateral cooperation.
- Areas of cooperation within the JPCC include among others: Agriculture and Livestock development; Trade and Investment; Air Transport; Education and Research; Tourism; Security; Technical assistance in various fields of development, and Political consultations.
- Various Agreements and MoUs have been signed between Kenya and Burundi in regard to ( ii )
- During the State Visit to Kenya by H.E President Evaristé Ndayishimye, the following eight (8) more MOUs were signed:
- MoU between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kenya and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Development Cooperation of Burundi on Political Consultations;
- MoU between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kenya and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Development Cooperation of Burundi on Diplomatic Training;
- MoU on Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries;
- MoU on Sports, Culture and Heritage;
- MoU on Cooperative Development;
- MoU in the Area of Public Service.
- MoU on cooperation in the Field of Tourism
- MOU between the respective Chambers of Commerce
Kenya- Burundi Trade & Investment Relations
- Burundi remains an important trade partner to Kenya. Among the EAC countries, Kenya remains the top investor in Burundi. Both Kenyan corporate and small & medium (SMEs) have been doing business in the country. Kenya’s corporate investors include; Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB), Diamond Trust Bank (DTB), Kobil, and Jubilee Insurance. Kenya Airways is one of the main airlines serving Bujumbura route. Kenyans have also invested in two institutions of higher learning.
- The importance of Burundi as a key player in terms of promotion of regional economic growth cannot be gainsaid. Bujumbura is recognized as the regional hub and entry point to Eastern DRC and the hinterland of the greater central Africa region. Eastern DRC border towns of Uvira, Bukavu and Goma are easily accessible and they receive most of their supplies from Burundi.
- Burundi is a virgin market with immense unexploited opportunities and Kenyans are encouraged to take advantage of the excellent relations between the two countries to establish a foothold and exploit the emerging opportunities in terms of trade and investment. Possible areas of investment include the following: Agro-processing; Education; Health & Medical; Finance & Banking; Energy; Light Manufacturing, and construction industry.