This archive report was first published on 19 May 2020.
Kenya has stepped up its diplomatic engagement with Tanzania to avert an escalation of a cross-border trade standoff occasioned by a disagreement over the screening of truckers at the border point for COVID-19.
On May 19, 2020, Kenya's High Commission to Tanzania, Dan Kazungu, and East African Community Cabinet Secretary, Adan Mohammed, spoke on the matter, stressing that it is against the spirit of regional integration to block Kenyan truckers from crossing into Tanzania.
According to Kazungu, Kenya had not barred Tanzanian trucks from entering Kenya, insisting that they must undergo COVID-19 testing at the border point as agreed by the EAC Heads of State.
'We have been forced to take this step not to discriminate against or to target Tanzania, but our objective is to contain the further spread of this deadly virus,' Kazungu cautioned.
He emphasized that the stand-off goes against the principles of the EAC, which aims to foster regional cohesion, love, and regional cooperation under the platform of shared brotherhood.
Adan Mohammed noted that Tanzanians might end up incurring more losses if the border stand-off with Kenya persists, citing the volume of trade that is tilted in their favor.
The East African Community Affairs Cabinet Secretary stressed that Kenya is keen to ensure the movement of goods is not affected as the government upscales COVID-19 containment measures.
