Kenya is looking to South Africa to support its candidate for the African Union Commission chair, Amina Mohamed.

Kenya President Uhuru Kenyatta discussed by phone with South African counterpart Jacob Zuma the candidature of Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed for the post of Chairperson of the African Union Commission, a statement from Kenya State House spokesperson Manoah Esipisu said.

Esipisu said that Kenyatta reached out to a number of his colleagues, including Zuma, before and after the candidature of Mohammed was made public.

Esipisu said that Kenyatta will host Zuma this week in Nairobi during the first State visit by a South African head of State to Kenya.

“President Zuma will land here in Kenya for a three-day visit, and is accompanied by a large business delegation,” said Esipisu.

He said that Kenyatta and Zuma were scheduled to hold a news conference on Tuesday after holding bilateral talks.

Apart from African Union matters, the two presidents would also discuss issues of trade, immigration, and security during the bilateral talks.

“The Presidents will be seeking to tackle non-tariff barriers, remove barriers impeding greater people-to-people contact between the two countries and examine ways to cooperate and collaborate in the security area in a globalised environment,” said Esipisu.

Esipisu said that that earlier this year, South Africa agreed to introduce visa exemptions for holders of diplomatic and official passports; decrease visa service fees for Kenyans from $71 to $49; issue three-year multiple entry visa for frequent travellers and ten years for frequent business travellers and academics among other agreements.

“What President Kenyatta will now be seeking, is to fast-track implementation, and to ensure that these policy changes are implemented with greater urgency,” said Esipisu.

On the trade front, Kenyatta will specifically be seeking to mitigate high levies facing Kenya’s tea exports and restrictions against other products, including but not limited to soda ash and processed meat.

In terms of security, the two heads of State will be seeking to consolidate and expand their counter-terrorism efforts, in a bid to more effectively and strategically push back against the twin threats of violent extremism and radicalisation.

They will also discuss Kenya’s progress in the matter of refugee repatriation, and Kenyatta will be seeking Zuma’s support towards expediting the safe, voluntary and humane repatriation process of Somali refugees.