Nairobi responds to Dar on EAC shaky relations

Ms Amina Mohamed, Kenya’s Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary, said her country would in future ensure that Tanzania is not isolated in matters relating to political and economic integration within the Community.
 ar es Salaam. Nearly four days since President Kikwete issued the country’s stand on its future in the revived East African Community (EAC), Kenya yesterday said it would do everything possible to ensure Tanzania is not isolated.

Speaking in Dar es Salaam yesterday, Ms Amina Mohamed, Kenya’s Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary, said her country would in future ensure that Tanzania is not isolated in matters relating to political and economic integration within the Community.

Ms Mohammed, who flew to Dar es Salaam for a two-day official visit in what some analysts viewed as President Uhuru Kenyatta’s bid to repair the strained relations with Dar es Salaam, said the Kenyan government received President Kikwete’s speech positively.

“Kenya commends the speech. We’re very happy for his deep insights over the East African Community,” the Kenyan Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary said adding that the two countries were among the true founders of EAC.

Ms Mohamed said if the two countries could join efforts, they stand a better chance to benefit greatly due to their historical economic and political ties.

Kenya is the second biggest investor in Tanzania, according to data from the Tanzania Investment Centre.

In his speech on Thursday in Parliament, President Kikwete said Tanzania will never quit the East African Community and will do everything in its power to ensure it survives and becomes prosperous despite efforts by Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda to sideline it.

He told a full House: “We’re in the EAC to stay. We have come from so far. We have sacrificed too much to give up now. We will do everything in our power to make sure the EAC survives and achieves its ultimate goal of political federation.”

Tanzania has every reason to interrogate what happened between states that were dubbed as ‘the coalition of the willing’, Mr Kikwete said: “We met on April 28 this year at a summit in Arusha. Two months later, they met to discuss how to implement the same issues that we discussed in April without inviting me. This is a sign that they want to isolate Tanzania. How can we integrate through isolation?”

Mr Kikwete’s move came after presidents Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya, Yoweri Museveni of Uganda and Paul Kagame of Rwanda held three meetings this year, the latest on October 28 in Kigali, where they agreed to start implementing infrastructure projects, the political federation and the single customs territory – issues that fall within the mandates of the EAC.

“We’re glad that President Kikwete has affirmed that Tanzania will never quit the EAC, and the new Kenyan government has learnt a thing or two in the goings on in President Kikwete’s speech,” Ms Mohammed said.

Speaking at a joint press conference yesterday, Mr Membe, Tanzania’s Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation minister said the government was pleased by the positive reaction from Kenya on President Kikwete’s speech.