President Magufuli Arrives in Kenya

The president of Tanzania, John Pombe Magufuli is in Kenya for a two-day visit where he is set to hold talk with President Uhuru Kenyatta.

According to a statement from the State House, President Magufuli will officially open the Southern Bypass in Nairobi tomorrow after which he is set to visit a dairy farm in Karen. This is the first time for Magafuli to visit Kenya since he was elected as the president of Tanzania.

Magafuli and President Uhuru Kenyatta will address a joint press conference at State House during his tour. This visit will be a chance for Kenya and Tanzania to renew and deepen their partnership given that the two countries have been in an uneasy relationship after Tanzania took over the lucrative oil pipeline deal that Kenya way eyeing from Uganda.

Magufuli is known to be a critic of Kenya and his visit to the country comes at a time when President Kenyatta is being faced with the huge hurdle of taking action against corrupt individuals in his government.

Work permit fees charged to Kenyan nationals, as well as the high university fees charged to Kenyan nationals by the Tanzanian government will also be discussed. Discussions on non-tariff barriers between both countries will also feature in the talks, as well as operation of tour vans across our common borders. President Uhuru Kenyatta will use this platform to push for the candidature of Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed for the position of Africa Union Commission Chairperson.

Magufuli is known for dealing with corruption on the spot once the news gets to him. The leader has also been the main man against the push for the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), which Kenya was forced to sign and ratify to avoid sanction after Tanzania and Burundi staged a go-slow. As part of the talks the revival of the Kenya-Tanzania Joint Commission for Co-operation (JCC) will also be featured. This is a platform through which promotion of trade and investments in both countries is propagated.

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