This archive report was first published on 29 June 2019.
Published on June 29, 2019, trade tensions between Kenya and Tanzania continue to escalate, with Kenyan and Tanzanian trade officials scheduled to meet in the coming days to find a lasting solution.
The disputes, which have been simmering for years, were recently amplified by the comments of Kenyan city legislator Charles Njagua, who suggested that foreigners trading in his constituency be evicted due to 'unfair competition.'
Mr. Njagua's remarks, which were widely condemned by the governments and parliaments of both countries, targeted Tanzanians in Nairobi's Gikomba open-air market, where the second-hand clothes business thrives.
Mr. Njagua was arrested and charged in a Nairobi court, but his comments sparked a regional outcry, contradicting an earlier invitation by President Uhuru Kenyatta to EAC citizens to visit, do business, settle, and even marry in Kenya.
The Tanzanian parliament debated the matter, with lawmakers demanding an official reassurance from Nairobi of the safety of Tanzanians.
Tanzania summoned Kenyan High Commissioner Dan Kazungu to explain the remarks, while East African Legislative Assembly member Dr. Abdullah Makame withdrew his motion to censure Kenya after Mr. Njagua's arrest.
Kenya's Cabinet Secretary for East African Community and Regional Development, Adan Mohamed, reassured the region that Mr. Njagua's views did not reflect those of the Kenyan government or Kenyans as a people.
Mr. Mohamed concurred with Tanzania's Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa's statement condemning the Kenyan MP's remarks, adding that President Uhuru Kenyatta has often emphasized that East Africans are welcome to visit Kenya for pleasure, to invest, and even to marry and settle, provided they do so in accordance with local laws.
The minister reminded Kenyans and all East Africans that the EAC Common Market provides for non-discrimination against citizens of other partner states and guarantees their protection and that of their property.
