This archive report was first published on 1 July 2019.
Published on July 1, 2019
Kenyan and Tanzanian trade officials are scheduled to meet in the coming days to find a lasting solution to the incessant trade disputes that continue to ruin the two countries' diplomatic relations.
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 over 'unfair competition.'
Njagua's remarks, which were widely condemned by the governments and parliaments of both countries, were understood to target Tanzanians in Nairobi's Gikomba open-air market, where the second-hand clothes business thrives.
However, the Kenyan government has since reassured the region that Njagua's views do not reflect those of the government or the people of Kenya.
Kenya's Cabinet Secretary for East African Community and Regional Development, Adan Mohamed, told parliament that the relevant security organs have taken action against Njagua and that the government has always welcomed East Africans to visit, invest, and settle in Kenya.
The EAC Common Market provides for non-discrimination against citizens of other partner states and guarantees their protection and that of their property.
