ADDRESS BY H.E. JAKAYA MRISHO KIKWETE, THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED REPUBLIC OF TANZANIA,
TO THE PARLIAMENT OF REPUBLIC OF KENYA,
NAIROBI-KENYA 06TH OCTOBER, 2015
His Excellency Honourable Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta,
the President of Republic of Kenya;
Honourable Justin Muturi, Speaker of the National
General Assembly;
Honourable Ekwe Ethuro, Speaker of the Senate;
Honourable Members of the Parliament;
Honourable Senetors;
Honourable Ministers;
Invited Guests;
Ladies and Gentlemen.
I
thank you Honourable Speaker for availing me with this rare opportunity
to address this esteemed Parliament of Kenya. It is an honour and a
privilege I will always remember. You have availed me this opportunity
at a very opportune moment indeed. Three weeks from office as directed
by the constitution of my dear country. So to me, this is an opportunity
to bid farewell to this House and through you to my brothers and
sisters of the Republic of Kenya.
When
H.E. President Uhuru Kenyatta invited me to visit his great county. I
did not hesitate to accept the invitation. This was because of the
importance of Kenya in Tanzania’s foreign policy. Kenya is a very
important neighbour of ours. Kenya is a great friend of Tanzania and an
ally. Our political and diplomatic relations are strong. We see eye to
eye on many bilateral, regional, continental and global issues.
We have been working together very well and support each other at regional, continental and global fora.
We have also supported each other at the bilateral level as well. To me and to Tanzania, Kenya’s problems are our problems.
It
is in this spirit that during 2007 and 2008 crisis I did not wait to be
invited, I came to lend a helping hand. Fortunately, God was kind
enough to the people of Kenya, you were able to navigate safely out of
the crisis. It is in the same spirit also we have not only grieved with
our Kenyan brothers and sisters whenever there was a terrorist attack,
but we have supported Kenya’s efforts in fighting terrorism. Our
Intelligence services and Police Forces have been working closely. They
have been sharing intelligence and arrested suspected terrorists who
flee to Tanzania after committing crimes in Kenya. We never hesitated
to send them back to Kenya to face justice.
The Purpose of the Visit
Honourable Speaker;
We
also have robust and longstanding cooperation in the fight against
narcotic drugs and cross border crime. This way, we have been able to
deal with criminal gangs operating in our two countries. Recently, we
have began to develop cooperation in fighting poaching and illegal trade
in wildlife. This cooperation has worked well for our two countries.
What is required of us going forward is to strengthen and advance this
cooperation. Lets make it clear to criminals that if they cause trouble
in any of our countries there is nowhere to hide and nowhere to run to.
Honourable Speaker;
On
the social-economic front there has been vibrant cooperation as well.
Our two countries have been undertaking joint infrastructure projects.
Take for example, the Althi-River-Namanga-Arusha road which was
completed in 2012. Currently, we are now doing the Mwatate – Taveta –
Holili – Moshi- Arusha road.
As
you know, my first function in my visit to Kenya this time was at
Taveta, where together with President Uhuru Kenyatta we inaugurated the
construction of this road on the Kenyan side.
We are working on a suitable date to do the same on the Tanzanian side.
Other important infrastructure projects are in energy.
In
the electricity subsector we have been doing two things. One, whenever
one of our countries has electricity and the other doesn’t, the people
on the other side of the border are connected. This is what we have done
at Namanga where power from Kenya has been extended to Namanga and
Longido on the Tanzanian side. We did the same between Sirari (Tanzania)
and Isbania Kenya. Secondly, we are building a power transmission line
from Tanzania to Namanga where the Tanzania electricity grid will be
connected to the Kenyan grid.
This
way power from Tanzania will be made available to Kenya and vice versa.
Our two countries are discussing how to extend the gas pipeline from
Tanzania to Kenya so as to enable Kenya produce more electricity from a
cost effective source.
Honourable Speaker;
On investment and trade our two countries have been able to develop strong bonds of cooperation.
For us in Tanzania, Kenya is not a competitor but a strategic partner. Kenya ranks 5th in
the Top Ten list of countries with the largest investments in Tanzania.
Kenya comes after only United Kingdom, United States, China and India.
Actually,
in that Top Ten List, there are only two African countries namely Kenya
and South Africa, on which Kenya is the leader. Kenya’s investments in
Tanzania account for 518 projects with the total value of 1,685.47
million USD and have created about 55,762 jobs.
Kenya
is Tanzania’s largest trading in East Africa. Trade between our two
countries is growing fast and in the last five years there was a 40
percent increase.
Tanzania’s
exports to Kenya have increased from 179.3 million USD in 2009 to 227.1
million USD in 2013 and imports have increased from 301.5 million
USD to 333.6 million USD in 2013.
I
am told trade between our two countries account for over 80percent of
trade in East Africa. It demonstrates in no uncertain terms how much our
two countries contribute to the East African integration agenda. Also
its how important it is for our two countries to forge closer and
stronger cooperation in investment and trade.
As
a matter of fact, what we have accomplished now is simply a tip of an
iceberg in relation to what we can do together. This morning when
speaking at the Kenya-Tanzania Business Forum I assured the Kenyan
business men and women that Tanzania is ready to do more business. We
can absorb more investments and opportunities are plenty in oil and gas,
energy, mining, transport, agribusiness, manufacturing, ICT, health
care, education and many more. Moreover, the business environment is
both conducive and permissive. Investments are safe. No nationalisation,
and it is allowed to repatriate profits and dividend.
Tanzania and EAC
Honourable Speaker;
To
us in Tanzania, regional integration is a matter of both principle and
policy. We have always remained believers in African Unity and the East
African economic and political integration. We hold strong belief
that, a divided East Africa will not be able to claim its rightful place
and compete effective in the regional and global marketplace,
therefore, that Tanzania commitment to the East African integration and
its flagship the East African Communities. We will do everything within
our power to see the East African integration agenda is implemented
to the letter and spirit. It is pleasing to note that the same
understanding is shared by you our brothers and sisters in Kenya.
Conclusion
Honourable Speaker;
I
will leave office fully satisfied I leave behind strong bonds of
friendship and cooperation between of two countries and two people. I
would like to assure you that Tanzania’s policy towards Kenya will
remain the same even after I have left office. If anything there will
be stronger and closer cooperation in the coming years.
I know there is a lot of anxiety and speculation about what will happen after the elections. Have no worries have
peace. I don’t see any change or shift of policy. And, if the candidate
of my party wins that is completely assured. I am not only hopefully
but confident that he will emerge victorious. By the way he sends his
greetings to you all. He has asked me to assure you that if elected
President he will strengthen and advance our bilateral relations to the
greatest heights possible.
With
these many words, I thank you once again Honourable Speaker and Members
of this House for your kind attention, and for the honour given to me
to address and bid farewell to this Assembly.
Ahsante sana!
إرسال تعليق