Kenyan Speaker Ekwee Ethuro slams Tanzania for stifling trade, free movement in EAC

NAIROBI, KENYA: The Speaker of the Kenyan Senate Ekwee Ethuro on Tuesday slammed Tanzania for slowing down the implementation of a common market in East Africa with its harsh immigration rules that stifle the free movement of people into biggest country in the region.
Addressing the opening of the East Africa Legislative Assembly in Nairobi, the Kenyan Speaker labelled the tough immigration rules that Tanzania imposes on citizens of Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi as some of the "non-tarriff barriers" that have to be dealt with for the region to achieve free movement of goods, labour, services and capital.
Ethuro, who was representing President Uhuru Kenyatta, said it was crucial for the people of the five-member States of the EAC to enjoy the fruits of the Common Market Protocol which was ratified five years ago.
"Tanzania still requires citizens of Partner States to produce yellow-fever vaccination certificates on entry, except those carrying diplomatic passports, as if yellow fever only attacks persons without diplomatic passports," said Ethuro to applause from the regional lawmakers.
The Senate Speaker told the regional MPs to guard the unity of the EAC.
"History will judge us harshly if we don't live up to the will of the people as espoused in the East African Protocol," said Ethuro.
EALA Speaker Fred Kidega asked for President Uhuru Kenyatta support in ensuring that the regional Parliament gets "full autonomy", and that all the Bills that it passes are assented to at once, instead of a Bill being shuttled from capital to capital of each of the five member States just for a signature.
The senate Speaker was speaking at a time when the Tanzania's President, Jakaya Kikwete, is in Nairobi for a State visit. Kikwete is also the chairman of the Summit – the highest decision-making body within the EAC and is also to give a farewell address to EALA while they are in Nairobi. He is expected to address the issues that the MPs have sent to President Kenyatta.