Nambale MP Bunyasi Sakwa wants President Uhuru Kenyatta to deploy the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) to the Tanzania border as the tiff between Kenya and Tanzania escalates.
On Saturday, May 16, Kenyatta shut Kenya’s border with Tanzania and Somalia and directed that only those drivers who tested negative would be allowed into the country. Magufuli reacted, one day later barring Kenyan truck drivers from entering Tanzania.
Sakwa, while addressing a gathering in Nambale, Busia urged Kenyatta to retaliate by sending the military to man border points, after truck drivers were spotted sneaking into Kenya through panya routes in Loitoktok.
The MP lamented that Kenya was not prepared to manage a worsening crisis as hospitals were unequipped.
On Tuesday, May 19, Citizen TV reported that CS Adan Mohammed stated that Kenya was refraining from escalating tensions between the two nations. The CS disclosed that Tanzania was losing more in the border stand-off.
On April 22, while the borders were still open, Government Spokesperson Cyrus Oguna argued that Kenya and Tanzania enjoyed a strong relationship, refuting claims that Tanzania’s apparent dilly-dallying with Covid-19 fight would affect the tie.
“East African countries engage in constant discussions on various ways that can be approached on how we can all protect ourselves. The relations are still and will always be strong,” Oguna explained. Efforts to reach him to find out if the government still maintained that stand were futile.
University of Nairobi’s Dr Jane Thuo, differed with Oguna, warning that Kenya’s relationship with Tanzania would deteriorate.
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