This archive report was first published on 5 May 2021.
President Uhuru Kenyatta welcomed Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu to Kenya for a two-day state visit, which included the Kenya-Tanzania Investment Forum at Serena hotel.
During the forum, Uhuru emphasized the need for swift action to ease the movement of goods and people between the two countries.
He directed ministers from both sides to clear all traffic jams at the Taveta and Namanga border points within two weeks, and to pay special focus to the issuance of Covid-19 certificates to ease the movement of transit cargo.
Uhuru also urged the ministers to move swiftly and ensure the ease of doing business at the border points was decisively tackled.
"It is not about wearing suits and meeting over tea. Get to the ground and understand what is affecting those traders. Don't just sit in those offices. If you need to consult, do it and get the work done," he said.
Uhuru's sentiments came shortly after the Kenya Business Community expressed its readiness to trade with the Tanzanian business community.
Led by the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce (KNCC), the community proposed the formulation of a Joint Business Council that will support the two countries.
KNCC President Fred Ngatia said the council would play a key role in addressing issues that bedevil Nairobi-Dar trade.
The community also proposed policy forums and investment-focused events that will target small-scale enterprises.
"We are going to focus more on economic projects by identifying favourable financing institutions that will help us settle some of the commercial disputes affecting our community," Ngatia said.
He said this will be made possible through the Public-Private Partnerships offered by the government.
As a result, KNCC in partnership with the Tanzania Chamber of Commerce will host a trade and investment exhibition in Dar es Salaam this August aiming to help SMEs unlock their potential.
