Amina writes protest letter to Tanzania over ‘harassment’

Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohammed (L) and President Uhuru Kenyatta

NAIROBI, KENYA: Foreign affairs cabinet secretary Amina Mohammed has written a protest letter to Tanzania over harassment of Kenyans within Tanzanian territory.

The CS said the matter will also dominate next year’s meeting of the East African Community heads of State summit.

In the letter delivered to the Tanzanian High Commission to Kenya, Amina complains of harassment of Kenyan business people working in Tanzania and various trade hurdles placed by Dar-es Salaam on Kenyan goods.

Earlier this week, Tanzanian President John Magufuli said he was unapologetic on the auctioning of over 1000 Kenyan cattle that trespassed in Tanzania.

Magufuli said his administration was responsible for protection of the country’s parks and environment to attract tourists and would do so at all costs. “And in that line, those who sneak with their livestock into this country will not be spared. We will confiscate them and do to them according to what our laws instruct,” said Magufuli. He added that he will also not interfere if pastoralists from his country trespass into other countries.

A week ago Tanzania burnt 6,400 one-day-old chicks from Kenya worth over Sh500, 000 in bird flu fears saying it would be so expensive and catastrophic for their farmers if an outbreak was to happen. A ban instituted in 2007 restricts Tanzania from importing chicken.