This archive report was first published on 23 May 2020.
On Friday, Kenya and Tanzania reached a breakthrough in their trade dispute, agreeing to reopen their borders and facilitate seamless cross-border movement of goods. The agreement comes after a tense week marked by a simmering trade dispute occasioned by the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to Transport, Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development Cabinet Secretary James Macharia, the two countries must unite to protect their trade interests and address the health concerns of citizens. “Kenya and Tanzania are trade partners, recording a turnover of more than $500 million (Sh53 billion) annually. We have reached an agreement that Tanzanian and Kenyan drivers will be subjected to the WHO standard Covid-19 testing in their territories and issued with clearance certificates,” said Mr Macharia.
As part of the agreement, a mobile laboratory will be installed on Monday to speed up testing for truck drivers. “The new mobile laboratory will be up and running from Monday, with a capacity to test between 500 and 600 samples daily. It will only take five hours for a driver to get the results,” said Mr Macharia.
East African Business Council Executive Director Peter Mathuki welcomed the diplomatic intervention, noting that the weekly volume of goods crossing the Namanga border had dropped to 40 per cent due to the trade dispute. “The Namanga one-stop border post remains a strategic entry point for East and Central Africa, but currently we are witnessing an economic disruption. The diplomatic intervention is a positive gesture,” Mr Mathuki said.
Published on May 23, 2020, at 7:00 PM EAT.
