Members of the National Assembly have asked the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) to develop and legislate laws that will facilitate the Africa Free Trade Zone to enable the African continent to trade internally without going out of Africa.

According to the lawmakers, a Free Trade Zone is one of the many tools that African countries could use to spur growth. 

Members emphasized the need for resources to be allocated to the PAP so that they could achieve their mandate to legislate and harmonize growth and prosperity not only within countries and regions but across the continent.

The lawmakers were speaking on Thursday during a visit by the President of the Pan-African Parliament, the Rt. Hon. Chief Fortune Zephania Charumbira.

The President is in the country to enhance collaboration between the regional Parliament, our Parliament, and the National Executive.

“We also want to push for resources for the Pan-African Parliament so that we can achieve our mandate to legislate and harmonize growth and prosperity not only in our countries and regions but in the continent,” said Eldama Ravine MP Hon. Musa Sirma.

According to Hon. Sirma, the Pan-African Parliament was the only House where legislators discussed the African continent and the Free Trade Zone that would enable internal trade without going out of Africa.

Hon. Rahab Mukami, Nyeri County MP, and a member of the Pan-African Parliament, pledged support to President Charumbira in building democracy within Africa and addressing economic challenges.

She promised to rally behind him on the Free Trade Area and Equal System Africa to promote trade and African integration.

Kimilili MP Hon. Didmus Barasa emphasized the need for a seamless Africa where people could cross the African continent without visa requirements.

He opined that the Pan-African Parliament should ensure constituent Parliaments adopt and implement resolutions for the benefit of every citizen of African countries.

“We want to see the Kenyan people crossing over to South Africa or Zimbabwe for employment without any hindrance because Africa is one,” said Hon. Barasa. 

“We should not allow ourselves to be divided by European countries that bring about a lot of procedures and protocols when traveling from one country to another within the African Continent,” added Hon. Barasa.

Lugari MP Hon. Nabii Nabwera expressed his desire for a united African continent with a common language of business. 

He urged the Pan-African Parliament to lead the continent in rediscovering itself to compete with the Asian Tigers, the West, and the Eastern Bloc.

 “We would like the Pan-African Parliament to lead the continent in rediscovering itself where Kwame Nkurumah and Abdel Nasser wished it to be,” said Hon. Nabwera. 

“I would like to ask the President as he is in this country, a country whose people love visitors, to use this opportunity to encourage all other leaders around the continent to work towards an Africa that is united, a continent that will trade within itself, a continent that is going to build infrastructure that will make it compete with Asian Tigers, the West, and the Eastern Bloc,” he said.

Endebess MP Hon. (Dr.) Robert Pukose called on the Pan-African Parliament to facilitate the free movement of Africans, free trade within the African region, and exploitation of resources for value addition.

He suggested the need to exploit the power of Inga Dams in the Congo River to generate electricity to feed the entire continent.

“Africa is rich; we are not poor and have resources that are exported to other countries for value addition. We can also do value addition in the African region,” said Hon. Pukose. 

Kitui Central MP Hon. (Dr.) Makali Mulu challenged Parliament to focus on Africa's main challenges, including the language barrier, to enable communication and facilitate trade. He proposed that legislation be made to help the continent grow and eliminate the use of over 20 different currencies that act as a barrier to trade.