The United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and Burundi's ruling party, CNDD-FDD, have agreed to strengthen cooperation and share experiences on party building as the two countries seek to deepen their political ties.UDA Secretary General Hassan Omar, on Wednesday, September 9, met with the Secretary General of Burundi's ruling party, CNDD-FDD, Révérien Ndikuriyo, at the UDA Headquarters in Nairobi, where the two discussed several issues.At the centre of the meeting is the working relationship with the two parties agreeing to deepen their relationship."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 parties agreed to cooperate and learn from each other in areas of party building, signalling closer engagement between the ruling parties of the two countries.The two leaders also discussed the broader relationship between Kenya and Burundi, with the two parties highlighting trade, investment, and the free movement of people and goods under 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 issue of undocumented Burundian nationals in Kenya also featured in the discussions, with Hassan assuring the Burundian delegation of the government's commitment to regularising their stay.Ndikuriyo also conveyed his appreciation for the hospitality extended to Burundian citizens living and working in Kenya.The meeting comes amid increased scrutiny of foreign nationals and businesses in Kenya, raising concerns among Burundians over their ability to remain, work, and conduct business legally in the country. According to Omar, Kenya remains committed to its relationship with Burundi and to regional integration under the East African Community (EAC), where the movement of people and goods remains a central pillar of cooperation.On Monday and Tuesday, hundreds of Burundians turned up at their embassy in Nairobi seeking travel documents and assistance amid fears of harassment.On Wednesday, hundreds of Burundians continued to visit the embassy seeking assistance to travel back to Bujumbura.This followed a pronouncement by President William Ruto that all foreigners operating small-scale businesses, including hawking, should close down their businesses.However, Ruto later gave a 90-day window for them to regularise their immigration, work permits, business registration, and licensing status before the government begins enforcing the requirements more strictly."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 window, the government assured that all its agencies would provide guidance and apply the requirements fairly, consistently and without discrimination, according to the statement.
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