The shoddy handling of Kenyan officials, including Energy Cabinet Secretary Charles Keter, at the Port of Tanga in Tanzania was unfortunate and uncalled for. Coming at a time the three main East African countries — Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda — are exploring huge joint infrastructural projects, that event should not be allowed to sour relations between these nations.
The Kenyan delegation was repeatedly humiliated while their Ugandan counterparts, whom they had travelled with, were honoured and treated with utmost respect and decorum. The Kenyan and Ugandan delegations were on a tour to assess the three ports of Lamu, Mombasa and Tanga to establish which was best suited to terminate crude oil pipelines from the two countries.
Kenya and Uganda have both developed oil fields following the discovery of crude oil in both countries, but whereas Kenya wants a crude pipeline from Uganda to wind up to Turkana then terminate in the Port of Lamu, Tanzania is pressing to have oil pipelines from the two countries to terminate in Tanga. Both countries are trying to convince Uganda to use their ports.
Although news reports suggest that Kampala has inked a deal with Dar es Salaam, Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni has denied these claims.
It is unfortunate that this impasse is causing tensions. Whereas each country must fight for the interests of its citizens, their representatives must always look at the bigger picture for the East African Community. Unnecessary spats and conflicts must be avoided.
Kenya’s trade wars with Tanzania had begun much earlier. When the two countries banned tour vans from accessing their two international airports, last year, it is the tourism sector that suffered most. Tourism revenue was lost on all sides. Tanzania then went ahead and reduced Kenya Airways flights’ travelling to its airports from 42 times a week to 14.
The issue was resolved after a meeting between the two countries’ presidents. The loss of business for citizens of both countries could have been avoided through dialogue and swift resolution of conflicts between government officials.
Going forward, we urge Presidents Uhuru Kenyatta, Tanzania’s Joseph Magufuli, Uganda’s Yoweri Museveni, Rwanda’s Paul Kagame and South Sudan’s Salva Kiir to actively protect the unity of purpose in the EAC must not be lost on any one leader of the member countries. In fact, they should fast-track the removal of trade barriers between the member countries. Suspicions and harassment of citizens from the region will only kill the dream of a united region and stifle growth. Still as neighbours, diplomacy and respect for each other must be observed at all times.
The Standard Group Plc is a
multi-media organization with investments in media platforms spanning newspaper
print operations, television, radio broadcasting, digital and online services. The
Standard Group is recognized as a leading multi-media house in Kenya with a key
influence in matters of national and international interest.
join