This archive report was first published on 20 May 2020.
On May 20, 2020, Rift Valley Regional Commissioner George Natembeya refuted claims of a rift between Kenya and Tanzania following a viral video of a Tanzanian administrator banning Kenyan truck drivers from entering Tanzania.
The Tanzanian Tanga Regional Commissioner, Martin Shigela, had directed security officers to restrict Kenyan cargo trucks, alleging that most drivers had tested positive for COVID-19.
Natembeya emphasized that the two countries share a common enemy in COVID-19, which they are fighting together, despite differing approaches.
"We are just battling one enemy, this doesn’t mean that because our approaches are so different the two countries have lost the close relationship that used to exist between them before the virus came," Natembeya said.
During a tour of the AngataBarikoi area in Trans Mara West Sub County, Natembeya urged residents to put measures in place to contain the spread of the disease.
He also warned residents against entering Tanzania through illegal routes, stating that those who did so risked being arrested.
As part of efforts to combat COVID-19, Natembeya distributed 15,000 masks to border residents and asked them to use them properly.
