Worsening Kenya-Tanzania Relations over Coronavirus pandemic measures
The novel Coronavirus pandemic has
certainly had far reaching impacts on nearly every aspect of human life. Responses
to the pandemic have been as various as there are types of human societies.
Some societies have responded in ways that are expected, yet others have
adopted measures that were unthinkable just under half a year ago. We have seen
drastic measures, including those that severely infringe on basic human rights,
being taken by countries around the world, including by some of the world’s
leading democracies. There has been debate on whether the Coronavirus pandemic is
creating room for dangerous and unjustified expansion of powers by autocrats and other leaders. Equally, there
has been debate on whether democracy is under attack as a silent victim of the Coronavirus pandemic. It can
be expected that these debates will go on for some time as the pandemic
interrupts the landscape of power distribution in the world.
Each country has had to respond differently to the Coronavirus pandemic.
The said differences in response are based on each nation’s unique circumstances,
including the idiosyncrasies of individual leaders. Yet it is this difference
in responses that is threatening relations between certain nations. I briefly
reflect on the ongoing diplomatic spat between Kenya and Tanzania over different
measures that each of these East African countries is taking in tackling
Covid-19.
It is important to point out that Kenya
and Tanzania have had ‘relationship issues’ stretching many decades back. In
fact, the ideological differences between member states, particularly Kenya and
Tanzania, are said to be one of the key reasons for the collapse of the former East African
Community (EAC) in 1977. In more recent days, we have seen Kenya and Tanzania easily
plunge into diplomatic rows over a number of issues, some of which appear minor.
They include but not limited to: the matter of Tanzanian small traders in Nairobi, auctioning of cattle belonging to Kenyans
by the Tanzania government, the burning of Kenyan chicks by Tanzania, a tourism row, among others. The novel
Covid-19 pandemic and the approaches that governments in the two respective
countries are taking, have once again rekindled the Kenya-Tanzania rivalry with
potential damaging effects not only on the already fractured relations between
the two neighboring nations but also the EAC. Regarding the latter, we have
witnessed Tanzania, alongside Burundi, skipping the heads of state meetings by EAC
member states to chart a collaborative and collective response to tackling the
Coronavirus pandemic.
Kenya and Tanzania have taken different
approaches to addressing the Coronavirus pandemic. While Kenya is on partial lockdown that commenced in April,
Tanzania has completely resisted pressure to lockdown. President
John Pombe Magufuli has been a fierce critic of how the world has responded to
Coronavirus pandemic. He has played down the severity of Coronavirus. He has
argued against the fear being spread over Coronavirus and called on his people
to continue with their daily work and even encouraged them to flock religious centers for worship. President
Magufuli has gone as far as questioning the integrity of the tests being conducted in his
own country and ordered investigations on the same. Amid criticism, President
Magufuli has since eased various restrictions such as lifting
of passenger flight restrictions and scrapping mandatory quarantine for
foreigners as he increasingly seeks to have the country – which has only had
relatively mild measures – to return to normalcy.
The different paths taken by Kenya and
Tanzania, in addressing Coronavirus, have seen the two neigboruing countries
put in place contradictory measures which are particularly affecting
cross-border transportation. On 16th May 2020, Kenya’s President,
Uhuru Kenyatta, declared a closure of the country’s borders with Tanzania
and Somalia. This followed what government of Kenya claimed was a spike in
imported Covid-19 cases from Tanzania. For example, Kenya reported to have tested
and denied entry to nearly two hundred
travelers from Tanzania who had tested positive for Covid-19. This, then led to
raising of restrictive measure at ports of entry, including banning passenger
travels between the two countries and demanding that all cargo truck drivers be
tested and declared Covid-19 free before they can be allowed entry into Kenya.
These measures seem to have angered Tanzanian authorities triggering the ongoing
diplomatic spat.
It should be appreciated that management
of borders has increasingly become a challenge as neighboring countries take
various measures to address the spread of the Coronavirus within their
territories. There have been border issues, within the EAC, particularly in
relation to cross-border truck drivers. For instance, there has been a
challenge between the Kenya-Uganda border, as well as, between Rwanda
and Tanzania. While in these two cited cases, we have seen
respective countries, work towards mutual resolving of the issues, it is
interesting, yet not surprising, how Tanzania has since responded to Kenya’s
action and the ensuing fast deterioration of relations between the two nations.
As I mentioned earlier, there are
historical differences between Kenya and Tanzania whose escalation is easily
provoked by a number of incidences, some of which I have mentioned above. In
fact, one could already see the current situation coming. Earlier in the month,
one of Kenya’s leading TZ channel, Citizen TV, had to run a one-week apology to President Magufuli and
Tanzania following the use of the phrase ‘ukaidi wa Magufuli’ (the stubbornness
of Magufuli) in reference to President Magufuli’s refusal to take decisive
measures to curb the spread of Coronavirus. Before, the current diplomatic spat,
we equally had two Kenyan journalists arrested and detained in Tanzania for
interviewing the people on the situation of Coronavirus in the country.
Following the said closure of the
Kenya-Tanzania border, we have witnessed quick – and perceivably angry –
reactions by Tanzanian leaders in reiteration, with President Magufuli mocking Kenya’s move to close the border. Perhaps
the crossest reactions by a Tanzanian government official, to Kenya’s decision
is one by Tanga regional Commissioner. Whereas Kenya’s closer of borders exempted cargo truckers on condition that
they are tested and proved to be Covi-19 free, the Tanga regional Commissioner,
ordered an immediate and blanket ban on any entry into Tanzania by Kenyans. In
a video,
that has since gone viral, and elicited heated debate in Kenya, the Tanzanian
official said: “…hatuwezi sisi ruhusu waendelee kutoka Kenya na corona zao…”
(we cannot keep allowing Kenyans to come here with their coronavirus). There
have been numerous other reactions by Tanzanian government officials regarding
this. In fact, Arusha regional Commissioner has accused Kenya of using Coronavirus to kill
tourism in Tanzania. Even more worrying is the rise of the people-to-people animosity
– which is now commonplace online – among citizens of these two countries,
which risks raising xenophobic rhetoric that may end up being grossly
detrimental.
At the moment, it is hard to tell how the
fast-escalating diplomatic spat between Kenya and Tanzania will end. There are
calls from and/or for both sides to explore – and quickly so – ways to
de-escalate the situation. Speaking during a stop-over in Singida, President Magufuli
has said that he has had a phone call with President
Kenyatta and that he (Magufuli) has directed Tanzanian authorities to meet with
their Kenyan counterparts to address border issues. One can only hope that a
quick solution will be found. It may require lobbying and even third-party
intervention as it happened during a past diplomatic row over tourism. Whichever way it ends,
the strained relations between Kenya and Tanzania have, on the one hand, once
again exposed the diplomatic faultiness of these neighboring countries, and on
the other, the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic on inter-state relations
within the EAC.
Worsening Kenya-Tanzania Relations over Coronavirus pandemic measures
Reviewed by Ibrahim Magara
on
May 20, 2020
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