Kakamega Senator Bonny Khalwale caused humour in the Senate Tuesday after proposing the abolition of borders in East Africa and the creation of a single presidency for the region.

Khalwale argued that boundaries between Kenya and its neighbours were unnecessary, citing deep ethnic and political ties that cut across national lines.

“We should get rid of boundaries between Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and Rwanda. We don’t need them,” he said on the floor of the House as he welcomed a 10-member delegation of Ugandan legislators visiting the Senate.

The senator pointed to shared communities spread across the region, noting that political representation already transcends borders.

“Because we have 40 Members of Parliament from my community here in Kenya and we have 13 in Uganda. The same applies to the Maasais when you cross to Tanzania and so on,” Khalwale added.

He went further to suggest a radical restructuring of governance in the region, saying East African countries could operate under a single presidency instead of maintaining multiple heads of state.

“Our parliaments should actively engage so that we rid East Africa of the burden of paying salaries for five presidents whose work we do not understand. We could only do with one president,” he said, drawing laughter from senators.

Khalwale described the idea as “very important,” even as his remarks were received with a mix of amusement and curiosity from lawmakers present.

The moment took a lighter turn when the senator expressed optimism about future political alignments, triggering even more laughter in the chamber.

“In the next election you will form government and on this side Senator Kinyua and myself we shall have formed government and we will be working very well with you,” he said, before bursting into laughter alongside other members.

The delegation, drawn from the office of the opposition leader in Uganda, is in Kenya for a training programme at the Centre for Parliamentary Studies and Training (CPST), which focuses on strengthening legislative capacity and governance.

Senate Speaker Amason Kingi had earlier acknowledged the presence of the visiting MPs, paving the way for Khalwale to formally receive them.