President Kenyatta Lobbies UK Gov't to Return Visa Processing Center to Nairobi

President Uhuru Kenyatta on Thursday lobbied the United Kingdom government to return the UK’s visa processing center for the East and Central Africa region to Nairobi.

The president, in a meeting with UK Prime Minister Theresa May in London, urged the UK to return the center to Kenya as part of his lobbying for new trade pacts between Kenya and Britain as Britain looks to sign new trade deals triggered by UK’s exit from the European Union. Britain is leaving the European Union after the Brexit referendum vote in June, 2016.

“It is Kenya’s desire to continue having seamless trade relations during and after Brexit. We wish to continue accessing the UK market duty-free and quota-free after the UK exits the EU,” President Kenyatta told Theresa May.

The UK processing center for the East and Central African region was moved from Nairobi to Pretoria, South Africa at the end of 2014 as a cost-cutting measure by the UK government. The move saw the visa section of the UK High Commission in Nairobi trim its staff by about 30 employees.