Uhuru to grace Tanzania’s 60th independence celebrations today: envoy

Uhuru Kenyatta

President Uhuru Kenyatta with his Tanzanian counterpart Samia Suluhu Hassan at State House, Nairobi.

Photo credit: PSCU

President Uhuru Kenyatta is expected in Tanzania today, Thursday, December 9, on a two-day official visit where he is also expected to grace the 60th anniversary of Tanzania’s (Tanganyika) Independence Day celebrations at Uhuru stadium in Dar es Salaam.

President Kenyatta was invited to the celebrations by President Samia Suluhu Hassan when she visited Kenya in May.

Speaking to reporters in Tanzania on December 8, Kenya's High Commissioner to Tanzania, Mr Daniel Kazungu said that this will be the first time official visit by President Kenyatta to Tanzania.

“He has been to Tanzania several times for work purposes but has never made an official visit. Therefore, the visit will begin tomorrow Thursday, by participating in the independence celebrations at Uhuru Stadium,” Mr Kazungu told reporters.

Identified 64 nuisances

On the second day of the visit, President Kenyatta and his host President Samia will witness the signing of agreements of eight contracts.

President Kenyatta will be accompanied by Cabinet Secretaries Raychelle Omamo (Foreign Affairs), Betty Maina (Trade and Industry), James Macharia (Transport), Joe Mucheru (Communications) and Adan Mohamed (East African Affairs).

Additionally, Mr Kazungu said during her May trip to Kenya, President Samia and her host President Kenyatta agreed on resolving various issues and removal of non-tariff barriers at the borders points which in the past have affected relations between the two countries.

He said the two neighbours have started to resolve challenges and identified 64 nuisances in Kenya-Tanzania relations and within four months. They have been able to resolve 46, he added.

“The remaining 18 grievances are administrative in our institutions such as KRA and TRA (Kenya and Tanzania Revenue Authorities). However the work is still ongoing in resolving those nuisances," he said.