Kenya and Tanzania have signed eight bilateral pacts on the last day of President Uhuru Kenyatta's two-day state visit.
The signing of the agreements followed bilateral talks between Kenyan and Tanzanian delegations led by Uhuru and his Tanzanian counterpart Samia Suluhu Hassan at State House, Dar es Salaam.
The bilateral pacts include agreements on mutual legal assistance, extradition, and transfer of sentenced persons as well as memoranda of understanding (MOUs) on immigration, correctional services, and animal health.
Others are MoUs on cooperation between Kenya Investment Authority and Tanzania Investment Centre as well as housing and urban development.
In a joint address shortly after witnessing the signing of the pacts, Uhuru and Suluhu Hassan said they were fully committed to the full implementation of the agreements.
“We have had an opportunity to hold bilateral talks on issues concerning our two nations and agreed to work closely to foster our relations so as to attain our shared vision for prosperity of our people,” Uhuru said.
He said the newly signed agreements will help spur economic prosperity as well as assist in cementing bilateral ties between the two countries.
“In our talks, we discussed how our countries depend on each other. Our ecosystems are intertwined and hence it doesn’t benefit us to be closing our borders but rather we need to continue engaging on how to resolve issues that hinder our citizens from conducting their businesses and interacting with each other.
“As leaders, I am pretty sure if we continue playing our role then the benefits accrued from economic activities will support the development of both countries," the Kenyan leader said.
He commended a joint team of Kenyan and Tanzanian trade experts whose work in recent months, he said, had helped resolve most of the non-tariff barriers that hindered cross-border trade between the two countries in the past.
Uhuru revisited the history of bilateral relations between Kenya and Tanzania stating that the founding fathers of the two republics, Mzee Jomo Kenyatta and Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, were pan-Africanists who advanced ideals of cross-border unity and cooperation.
He also spoke about cross-border connectivity between Kenya and Tanzania noting that the ongoing construction of the Malindi to Bagamoyo highway will help unlock the immense commercial potential of the corridor.
“We have road infrastructure connecting us at the border points of Isebania, Namanga, and Taveta/Holili and though each of our countries has begun the construction of the coastal highway, we will schedule a date to formally launch the construction of Malindi to Bagamoyo highway,” he said.
On her part, Suluhu thanked the Kenyan leader for honouring her invitation to attend the 60th anniversary of mainland Tanzania's independence.
She echoed her Kenyan counterpart's sentiments on improving cross-border trade between the two East African economies due to the removal of most of the identified non-tariff barriers.
“I commend the JCC for speedily resolving 46 out of 64 non-tariff barriers that existed and I am sure the remaining ones will soon be resolved so that people can continue with their businesses,” she said.
Speaking on cross-border connectivity, President Suluhu said the infrastructure being developed is aimed at accelerating economic growth in the two nations.
“We have all begun constructing the Malindi to Bagamoyo road but we intend to officially launch the construction works at an agreed date. We are also in the process of building a gas pipeline from Dar es Salaam to Mombasa with a view of helping our Kenyan brothers access to gas at a cheaper cost,” Suluhu said.
Suluhu observed that Kenya and Tanzania were endowed with vast natural resources and attractive tourist sites that should jointly be exploited for the benefit of the people of the two nations.
“Our countries are endowed with great tourist attraction sites besides other natural resources. Today we are giving Kenya a certificate for 20 roan antelopes and we have also requested them to give us two black female rhinos to enhance our tourism sector,” President Suluhu said.
Uhuru was accompanied by Cabinet Secretaries Raychelle Omamo (Foreign Affairs), Adan Mohammed (East African Community), Betty Maina (Trade), James Macharia (Transport), and Mutahi Kagwe (Health).
Others in the President’s delegation were Trade PS Johnson Weru, CAS David Osiany, and Solicitor General Kennedy Ogeto.
Edited by CM