This archive report was first published on 4 May 2021.
On Tuesday, Kenya and Tanzania took a significant step towards energy cooperation by signing an agreement to build a gas pipeline from Dar es Salaam to Mombasa.
At a joint press conference in Nairobi, Presidents Samia Suluhu of Tanzania and Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya emphasized the importance of interconnecting infrastructure, starting with a gas pipeline and roads.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Cooperation in Natural Gas Transportation allows respective ministers of energy to begin negotiating the design, cost, and logistical needs for the pipeline.
According to a joint communique, the project aims to enhance 'energy sufficiency' in the region, with Kenya looking to import gas from Tanzania's nascent plant.
While no specific timelines were given, President Samia Suluhu directed respective technocrats to start working on the project immediately.
"That is a long-term project and we are thankful that today we have signed an agreement and what remains is implementation," she said.
President Kenyatta also emphasized the importance of building on the close cultural and historic ties between the two countries, ensuring their citizens benefit from interactions.
"We are connected by a common culture; we have a common language and heritage. We do not take Tanzania just as a neighbourly country; we consider it a brotherly country," he said.
