Uhuru, Suluhu seal eight deals to improve ties

President Uhuru Kenyatta is received by his Tanzania counterpart Samia Suluhu at State House in Dar es Salaam. [Courtesy]

President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Tanzania counterpart Samia Suluhu Hassan yesterday committed to enhancing bilateral relations and witnessed the signing of eight agreements.

The three agreements and five Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) aim at strengthening Kenya-Tanzania bilateral ties.

They touch on trade, security, agriculture and cross border cooperation, immigration, correctional services, extradition and mutual legal assistance and trade investments.

Earlier, President Kenyatta was on Friday morning officially received by President Suluhu at State House, Dar es Salaam in an elaborate State reception.

He inspected a Guard of Honour mounted by a detachment of the Tanzania People's Defence Force (TPDF) and was accorded a 21-gun salute, the long-standing military honour reserved for visiting Heads of State and Government in the Commonwealth.

The duo addressed a joint press briefing shortly after Uhuru noted that the progressive removal of non-tariff trade barriers had smoothened commerce between the two East African economies.

President Suluhu echoed her Kenyan counterpart's view on improving cross-border trade and commended the team of Kenyan and Tanzanian trade experts for resolving 46 of the 64 identified barriers.

The latest deals are a follow up to President Suluhu’s visit to Kenya in May signalled an end to a turbulent chapter marked with trade barriers and strife at their borders in the past.

In his second day in Tanzania, where he is on a three-day state visit, Nairobi and Dar el salaam hammered a deal on a prisoner exchange, that will see their citizens transferred to jails in their home countries.

Key highlights of the two leaders’ talks bordered on eight MoUs, among them the agreement on the transfer of sentenced persons between the two countries.

This has been cleared and concurrence of the Office of the Attorney General and the National Treasury gotten, which touch on the agreement on Mutual Legal Assistance, extradition and transfer of sentenced persons that fall under the off and will be executed by the Attorney General (AG) Kihara Kariuki.

Kenya’s High Commissioner to Tanzania Dan Kazungu said after Suluhu’s Kenyan State visit talks were ongoing to see if prisoners can be released or repatriated to continue serving their terms in Kenya.

In return, the diplomat said Kenya would release to Tanzania all Tanzanians serving jail terms in local prisons.

According to World Prison data, as of September 2020, Kenya had a prison population of 42,596 of whom 0.6 per cent were foreigners compared to Tanzania which had a population of 35,803 of whom 3.7 per cent are foreigners.

He recalled that President Kenyatta committed that no Kenyan should be jailed in a foreign country and that is why the talks were initiated to leverage on the relationships between the two nations.

In 2018, the then Defence Cabinet Secretary Monica Juma, now in Energy, said there were 1,300 Kenyans serving jail terms in other countries and more than 2,000 foreigners in Kenyan jails.

Dr Juma said 79 were in Tanzania, 47 in Uganda and 15 in Ethiopia even though Kenyan embassies were however providing consular services to all the inmates.

Others MoUs include one on immigration, which seeks to create a constructive working relationship and an understanding between Kenya and Tanzania as well as foster a relationship, support and assistance with regards to areas of cooperation in immigration matters.

Another is the MOU on Cooperation in the field of Correctional Services, which has been cleared and concurrence sought by the AG and National Treasury.

Its objective is to establish a framework for cooperation between Kenya and Tanzania in order to improve the standards of services at prisons and correctional institutions as well as for ancillary matters relating thereto.

It is expected to be executed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) Cabinet Secretary (CS) Raychelle Omamo.

On the issues on Mutual Legal Assistance Agreement, its aims at granting both Tanzania and Kenya assistance in criminal matters and assets recovery proceedings.

The same applies to the Extradition agreement, whose objective is to facilitate extradition upon request, of wanted persons between Tanzania and Kenya for the purpose of carrying out proceedings or executing a final custodial sentence or any other measure restrictive of personal liberty issued against such person.

Similarly, there is the MOU between Kenya Investment Authority and Tanzania Investment Centre, which seeks to establish closer cooperation for mutual benefit and to strengthen economic, technological, and investment relations between the two Institutions.

It is expected that the MOU will be signed by the Acting Managing Director Kenya Investment Authority together with her Counterpart.

There is the MOU on Joint Cross border Cooperation in the Prevention and Control of Trans boundary Animal and Zoonotic Diseases. This will enhance bilateral cooperation and coordination in the planning and implementation of strategies to prevent and control transboundary animal diseases and zoonosis along the common border.

And finally, the MOU on Housing and Urban Development Cooperation, whose objective is to develop and promote cooperation between the Parties in the field of housing and urban development.

On Thursday, President Kenyatta was among several visiting Heads of State and Government, and other foreign dignitaries at a colourful celebration to mark the 60th anniversary of Mainland Tanzania's independence at Uhuru Gardens in downtown Dar es Salaam.

The Kenyan delegation at the bilateral talks included Omamo, Adan Mohammed (East African Community), Betty Maina (Trade), James Macharia (Transport) and Mutahi Kagwe (Health).