Tanzania_The Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Dr Augustine Mahiga, speaking to reporters in Dar es Salaam, said all the ballots for casting and counting votes are in the hands of Kenyans themselves.
“What we know is that the voting exercise will be monitored electronically from the polling stations to headquarters.
There is literally no room for cheating. We have been in good relationship with Kenya for many years, why didn’t we interfere with their elections in all those past years?
Those are mere rumours that should be ignored by both Kenyans and Tanzanians,” said Dr Mahiga.
He told the press conference he convened to talk about the removal of tit-for-tat trade barriers the two neighbouring countries had imposed, he said: “Despite our joint press release on Sunday in Nairobi with my Kenyan counterpart, I have also decided to repeat it here that we agreed to lift bans on products imported from both countries.”
The two countries agreed to lift restrictions on exports of wheat flour and cooking gas to Kenya and allow milk and cigarette imports from Kenya.
The agreement followed discussions between President John Magufuli and his Kenyan equal Uhuru Kenyatta, said Dr Mahiga, adding that the two leaders had agreed implementation of their accord to take off with immediate effects.
He said the trade barriers came after Kenya claimed that Tanzanian goods were of low quality, forcing Tanzania to also ban milk imports as the Kenyan claims were unfounded.
Dr Mahiga insisted that there is no way Tanzania can export sub-standard goods, citing wheat flour produced by Bakhresa Group of companies being among products barred from entering the Kenyan market on quality grounds.
“The gas we export to Kenya is of the same that we also export to other countries, with all international standards. The government will continue setting smooth investment and trading environment,” said the minister.
Tanzania and Kenya’s foreign affairs ministries, said Dr Mahiga, agreed to create the hot line, specific for communication on tracing and preventing possible trading disturbances
©Daily News
