Inside Kenya's 'frosty' ties with Tanzania under Magufuli

Over the years, Tanzania and Kenya have enjoyed good bilateral relations.

Tanzania remains Kenya’s close partner in many areas, particularly trade, security (military), education, agriculture and energy.

Tanzania has a high commission in Nairobi and Kenya one in Dar es Salaam.

The first high commissions of Kenya in Tanzania and vice versa were opened after the independence of Kenya.

However, after the breakup of the EAC in 1977, both countries severed diplomatic ties.

The breakup of the first EAC which was founded in 1967 was brought about by ideological differences between Tanzania and Kenya.

Tanzania and Kenya resumed diplomatic ties in 1983, a time when TZ was playing catch-up to Kenya’s economy as a lot of factors were slowing its idea of Ujamaa.

Today though both countries enjoy healthy relations, they have been at odds over economic and logistic issues, with traders from both countries rivalling each other.

Despite both countries being part of the East African Community, border checks and conflicts have resulted in occasional unrest and protests along the border

Though the presidents of the two sides have visited either side amid efforts to ease the tensions, things seem to have gotten out of hand during president Magufuli’s regime.

Since Magufuli assumed office in 2015, Kenya has on various occasions written protest letters against how Magufuli’s regime had acted on certain aspects.

In 2017, the two neighbours were at odds when Tanzania police set ablaze 6,400 day old chicks to death.

The chicks had allegedly been illegally imported from Kenya.

The chicks worth Tsh12.5 million (about $5,570) were impounded at the northern Namanga border post before being set alight.

A few months later, diplomatic tensions threatened to flare-up over pastures for cattle belonging to the Maasai community who live on the two sides of the border.

This came after President John Magufuli said his country was not grazing land for the neighbouring countries' cows.

Nairobi had written a protest letter to Dar over the decision to burn 6,400 chicks imported from Kenya for fear of bird flu and auction 1,300 cows belonging to Kenyan herders after they were confiscated for grazing in Tanzania.

Kenya in its letter said the "hostile actions” against its citizens and their business interests risked soiling historical relations between the two neighbours.

But Magufuli in his response said his government would continue to confiscate and auction livestock that crosses the border into Tanzania illegally.

“Tanzania is not a feeding farm for animals from other countries and that is why we have stated that we are going to take action as per the law,”  he said.

The tensions escalated to 2018, where Magufuli’s regime imposed a 25 per cent import duty on Kenyan confectionery.

Kenya, on the other hand, banned Tanzanian tour vans from accessing the Maasai Mara National Reserve, arguing that the neighbour had banned Kenyan operators from accessing the Serengeti National Park.

This is despite the fact that when Magufuli arrived in the country in 2016 for a two-day state visit had promised to renew and strengthen ties.

On this historic first visit to Kenya, Magufuli was accorded full military honours complete with a 21-gun salute.

Though Magufuli’s visit was seen a crucial in debunking myths of animosity and sore relationship, the tensions remained for a while until President Uhuru Kenyatta visited Magufuli.

In 2019, Tanzania threatened diplomatic action against Kenya following incitement remarks by Starehe MP Charles Jaguar against foreign investors.

During a debate in Parliament, the legislators said Kenya should not only distance itself from the sentiments but must also prove action against the MP.

Opposition leader Freeman Mbowe told the Parliament that though Jaguar had uttered the words as an individual person, such cannot be ignored as it can easily put the lives of Tanzanians who have invested in the country.

Mbowe said such xenophobic statements must not be taken lightly as many lives are at stake.

“Mr Speaker we have specifically been mentioned by the said MP and we cannot sit and ignore. Kenya government must move swiftly and act against such actions that might breed enmity with our Kenyan brothers,” Mbowe said.

He said Among African Countries, Kenya is leading the countries with the largest labour force spread abroad.

If these countries were to order Kenyans to go back to their country, it would breed to something else Mr Speaker. This house must that in its authority issue their stand over the matter,” he said.

Another legislator with a contrary opinion however said Tanzania parliament should not waste its time discussing sentiment issued by an individual member of parliament.

The legislator by the name Lusinde said Jaguar’s sentiments require a political reaction rather.

“We should cease discussing this matter, Mr Speaker. This shows we are cowards and such cowardice ways will see our people suffer. If they say Tanzanians be beaten, we should also declare that all Kenyans in Tanzania be roughed up and taken back to Kenya,” He said.

As a result, to ease the tension, President Uhuru Kenyatta paid a private visit to Magufuli at his Chato home before they publicly declared their commitment to herald new relations.

As a sign of this commitment, Magufuli sent four peacocks with Magufuli saying they signified the love, unity and brotherhood between the people of the two countries.

The two countries once again plunged into yet another diplomatic row, this time triggered by different approaches to fight the Covid-19 pandemic.

The recent dispute was triggered by Kenya’s closure of its border with Tanzania.

While border closure is used diplomatically as a hostile action, in this instance it was for the public good to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

The President also closed the Kenya-Somalia border.

The President said the closure was necessitated by the increase in imported cases of the disease.

Tanzania reciprocated and ordered that Kenyan trucks should not be allowed to cross into Tanzania.

Normalcy was later restored after Uhuru and Magufuli agreed to end the border rift.

The two heads of state agreed to let transport ministries from the countries together with heads of border regions deal with the situation.

The latest incident happened in August last year where Tanzania banned four Kenyan airlines from its territory.

The affected airlines included Kenya Airways-KQ, Fly540, Air Kenya Express and Safarilink Aviation.

The move according to Tanzanian authorities was a reciprocation after Tanzania was left out in the list of countries whose people will be allowed to travel into Kenya when international flights would resume.

"The Authority regrets to inform you that, on a reciprocal basis, the Tanzanian Government has decided to nullify its approval for Kenya Airways flights between Nairobi and Dar/Kilimanjaro/Zanzibar effective August 1, 2020, until further notice," the letter said.

A month later, Kenya bowed to the pressure and added Tanzania to its Covid-19 safe list of countries whose citizens are exempted from a mandatory two-week quarantine.

The move was termed as a tactical retreat to protect the market share of its airlines in the neighbouring country.

This was a day after the Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority (TCAA) confirmed that the ban on Kenyan airlines had been lifted.

“This is to confirm that the government of Kenya through its circular issued by KCAA on September 15 removed the requirement of 14 days’ mandatory quarantine for all arriving passengers from the United Republic of Tanzania,” TCAA director-general Hamza Johari said in a statement.

He said in view of that and on a reciprocal basis, Tanzania lifted the suspension for all Kenya operators with immediate effect.

Experts warned that a prolonged absence of Kenyan airlines, including Kenya Airways, AirKenya Express, Fly540 and Safarilink Aviation, on the Tanzania routes would have handed the fast-rising RwandAir an advantage to establish itself as alternative choice to customers in the regional market, long dominated by Kenyan carriers.