Nyore Madzianike-Senior Reporter
ZIMBABWE and Kenya are moving to deepen economic cooperation, with bilateral trade having increased by 63 percent between 2024 and 2025 despite remaining below their potential.
The two countries are now preparing to establish their inaugural Bi-National Commission (BNC), which is expected to provide a framework for expanding trade, investment, market access, tourism, and other areas of economic cooperation.
The development emerged yesterday when Kenyan Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Ms Gertrude Nyausi Angote, paid a courtesy call on Vice President Kembo Mohadi in Harare.
Ambassador Angote said the forthcoming Bi-National Commission, to be co-chaired by President Mnangagwa and his Kenyan counterpart President William Ruto, would focus on practical measures to unlock greater economic opportunities between the two countries.
“What is very key is that we have very strong ties and we want to leverage on these strong ties that we have in order to improve on our trade volumes,” she said.
“Currently there is steady improvement. If we compare our trade volumes between the year 2025 and 2024, there has been an increase of 63 percent. But we see that we are still below potential.”
She said the BNC was expected to produce an action-oriented framework for strengthening economic and private-sector partnerships.
The planned BNC comes as Zimbabwe and Kenya seek to build on longstanding political relations and translate them into stronger commercial ties.
Ambassador Angote said discussions with Vice President Mohadi focused on improving market access, promoting investment, and strengthening connectivity between the two countries.
“We are also looking at being able to work around market access, but also on investment drives, work together to really push our investments,” she said.
Air connectivity was identified as another area with potential to stimulate trade and tourism.
Kenya Airways already operates flights to Harare and Victoria Falls, but Ambassador Angote said there was scope to strengthen air links further to facilitate the movement of people and support tourism between the two countries.
“How about we increase this in ensuring that we bolster our tourism?” she said.
The two countries are also expected to strengthen cooperation through the Common Market for Eastern and Southern America, with Kenya preparing to hand over the bloc’s chairmanship to Zimbabwe at the ongoing summit.
President Ruto is expected to hand over the chairmanship to President Mnangagwa today as Kenya remains on the COMESA bureau.
Ambassador Angote said Nairobi would work closely with Harare to advance the regional body’s objectives.
“We are looking forward to really extend and strengthen our regional ties through that nexus,” she said.
The ambassador also said Kenya was looking forward to hosting the tripartite secretariat involving COMESA, the East African Community, and the Southern African Development Community.
Kenya is expected to participate and exhibit at Zimbabwe’s Museum of African Liberation, an initiative Ambassador Angote said would provide another platform for strengthening historical and cultural ties between the two countries.
She also expressed hope that Zimbabwe would support Kenya’s candidature of Justice Phoebe Okowa for membership of the International Court of Justice.
The Bi-National Commission is expected to be held in Kenya, where the two Presidents will lead discussions aimed at converting the existing diplomatic relationship into practical economic partnerships.
