State visit focuses on regional integration

THE first day of Tanzanian

President Samia Suluhu’s maiden state visit to neighbouring

Kenya centred on strengthening economic co-operation between the two East African countries, with an agreement reached on an interconnecting gas pipeline, as well as others on eliminating trade barriers.

In a statement posted on its Twitter account, Kenya’s State House said Samia arrived in the capital Nairobi and was later received by President Uhuru Kenyatta before the two leaders held private talks followed by bilateral discussions with their respective delegations.

Day one of the two-day visit focused on reaffirming the two countries’ commitment to fostering a prosperous relationship by facilitating trade and the movement of people.

The two leaders reached a memorandum of understanding on a gas pipeline between the coastal cities of Mombasa in Kenya and

Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, The East African reported.

There is roughly 500km between the two cities.

“That is a long-term project and we are thankful that today we have signed an agreement and what remains is implementation,” the

East African quoted President Samia as saying.

“We have agreed on the need to ease the transportation of key energy resources and we have reached one such understanding on the transportation of gas.

What we need to do now is start implementing the project.”

President Kenyatta said the two leaders agreed to work on the main highway between Malindi through Lungalunga to Bagamoyo.

Bagamoyo is on the coast adjacent to Dar es Salaam while Malindi is 140km north of Mombasa.

Samia paid homage to Kenya’s founding father Jomo Kenyatta and also attended a banquet hosted by Kenyatta and first lady Margaret Kenyatta, according to State House Kenya.

On day two of the state visit on Wednesday, both leaders attended the Kenya-Tanzania Business Forum.