The Kenyan government signed a deal with Mozambique on Wednesday to transfer sentenced persons between the two nations.
In an official statement, Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua confirmed the agreement reached with Veronica Macamo, his Mozambican counterpart aims to establish a smooth process for the extradition of convicted persons, ensuring seamless cooperation between the two countries.
This agreement is part of a broader Joint Permanent Commission for Cooperation (JPCC) between Kenya and Mozambique.
Additionally, both countries have mutually agreed upon legal assistance in criminal matters. This implies that if a Kenyan citizen faces an indictment in a criminal investigation in Mozambique, the foreign affairs ministry will readily provide all requested information related to the case.
Mozambique will also extend the same courtesy if one of its citizens is arrested in Kenya.
The mutual agreement in criminal investigations will act as a precursor for the smooth transfer of criminals once sentenced.
CS Mutua visited Maputo to prepare for President William Ruto’s anticipated visit to the Southern African nation.
This is the second such agreement struck by Ruto's administration in recent times. In March 2023, the cabinet approved a deal agreed between Kenya, China, and Italy, to facilitate extradition of lawmakers.
In addition to the extradition arrangement and legal support for criminal investigations, Kenya further formalized six cooperative instruments that will bolster collaboration.
They include; the blue economy, public service training, energy, defense, and agriculture.
“I called upon the respective Ministries to work collaboratively and exert more effort on fast-tracking action and implementation of the agreed areas of cooperation by putting in place robust follow-up, monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to review the progress on the deliverables agreed upon,” Mutua stated during the signing of instruments of cooperation.
Kenya and Mozambique have historically had cordial bilateral relations. The East African nation is home to over 4,000 Makonde community members who draw their roots from Mozambique.
In 2016, former President Uhuru Kenyatta recognised the community as the 43rd Kenyan tribe paving the way for them to get citizenship status cards.
