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Kenya traders on Taveta border complain of harassment by Tanzania authorities
By Renson Mnyamwezi
Published: Nov 26th 2017 at 12:49, Updated: Nov 26th 2017 at 12:50
Traders carry on their businesses at the Taveta New Border Market in Taita-Taveta County on Friday, 24th November,2017. [Renson Mnyamwezi/Standard]
SUMMARY
From the harsh treatment, some say authorities in neighbouring country are against trade with Kenyans
On the contrary, those from across the border doing business in Taita Taveta face no trade barriers
Agnes Muteti is a troubled businesswoman. Having been a trader in Tanzania for a while, she says it has been nothing but trouble. She has struggled to do business in a hostile environment.
Muteti, a mother of three, says ruthless Tanzania law enforcement officers have ruined her business.
ALSO READ: 6 Tanzanian schoolchildren killed in a ‘grenade’ explosion
“I have been doing rice business for years but I have now abandoned it due to arbitrary arrests and confiscation of my goods by Tanzania authorities who do not want Kenyans to do business in their country,” she says.
The trader says it is now a nightmare to do business in Tanzania. She says while their counterparts in Tanzania are allowed to freely conduct their business in Taita Taveta County, local traders are subjected to harassment by Tanzania authorities. This is despite the existence of the East Africa Common Market Protocol.
EAC Protocol
Muteti says Tanzanians have been allowed to set up kiosks in Taveta border town while others are hawking fruits, cereals and secondhand clothes without intimidation from local traders and authorities.
She says that in one of the recent incidents, Tanzanians confiscated her 75 bags of rice at the Holili border.
ALSO READ: EAC presidents to discuss Kenya-Tanzania relation
“I have been visiting the border to reclaim my cereals in vain. I am told that the consignment was given to a Tanzanian prison to feed inmates. The authorities cannot allow us to buy cereal and transport it to Kenya,” she claims.
Claims of graft, harassment by Tanzanian police, unnecessary delays are among factors hurting businessmen trading in the neighbouring country.
Local businessmen say the establishment of the East African Community (EAC) is still a mirage and dogged with suspicion and mistrust among residents of the five member states.
Going by trade barriers and imbalances witnessed at Holili in the Kenya-Tanzania border in the recent past, Kenyan traders are not happy with the EAC Common Market Protocol which they claim only favours their neighbours.
Muteti is not the only trader who has suffered under the hands of ruthless Tanzania police officers.
Another trader Mwenda Nzioka says the new Taveta market is flooded with horticultural products from Tanzania.
“We have been misplaced by Tanzanian traders who are controlling the market at the expense of locals,” he told Sunday Standard.
“We are not allowed to do business in Tanzania without international trade licenses. Many Tanzanians doing business in Kenya have no such licenses. The cross-border trade favours Tanzanians,” says Nzioka who deals in cereals. He was arrested at Kea near Arusha town while transporting cereals to Kenya and his consignment confiscated.
“There are no trade restrictions in Uganda and Sudan,” says the trader who has been doing cross-border business for 20 years.
He says Tanzania authorities have increased tariffs from Sh2,000 to Sh5,000 which has made it impossible for them to conduct business.
Youth looking for jobs have also not been spared by the authorities.
John Musembi says he was chased away by the authorities when he went there to look for a job. “Traders and authorities in Tanzania have been very hostile to us,” added Regina Mutinda.
She says Tanzanians buy cooking oil, fuel among other items in Kenya but Kenyans are not to do the same while across the border.
Heavy losses
Ms Mutinda says she was recently ordered to return several bags of onions she had bought from Tanzanian farmers.
ALSO READ: Anti-terror police arrest two Al-Shabaab-linked Tanzanians
“I incurred losses because I had to obey the order,” the trader says.
She says traders from Tanzania have been transporting cereals to Taveta border town where they sell and make huge profits.
“We used to buy maize cheaply using Tanzania currency but authorities no longer allow us to trade in the neighbouring country. Our counterparts in Tanzania bring maize to Taveta and do lucrative business,” she says.
“We do not get profit if we buy maize locally. A number of local traders have resorted to buying maize in Uganda to avoid exploitation,” says Mutinda.
Taveta Deputy County Commissioner Henry Wafula confirmed that several Kenya businessmen had complained to his office about harassment by Tanzania authorities.
“It is true that local traders have complained that they are not being allowed to buy maize in Tanzania. I will liaise with my Tanzania counterpart in Rombo to address the matter,” said the administrator.
In a recent stakeholders meeting, former Governor John Mruttu said traders among them maize and gemstone dealers were being subjected to arbitrary arrests while conducting business in Tanzania.
ALSO READ: Tanzania's fuel prices rise on weaker currency
This is despite a joint communiqué signed by the two countries to reduce non-tariff barriers in all border points a couple years ago.
Level playing field
“We thought the signing of the agreement will bring a sign of relief to Kenyan traders but has become a night mare. Tanzania authorities have ignored the agreement together with the EAC Treaty signed by the five member states,” says the former governor.
He said the East African Community (EAC) integration laws are still favouring citizens of one state.
Residents and leaders say laws that do not provide level ground for all the citizens should be reviewed.
“We cannot talk of EAC yet laws are still favouring citizens of one country. We need to have standard laws that will provide a level playing field for all citizens of EAC member States,” said Mruttu.
He said the current laws have failed to facilitate cross border and intra-regional trade between.
Kenya traders on Taveta border complain of harassment by Tanzania authorities
MY TAKE
As far as i know cereal export business was banned n communication being reported even by Kenyan media. Unless Kenyan business people r so stupid then they should have thought Tanzania is a lawless country. Poleni sana next time msijaribu. The fact is the incidence is Just like Tanzanians loss of their merchandise at Gikomba where Kenyans torch their shops/standa everyday n go unreported.
By Renson Mnyamwezi
Published: Nov 26th 2017 at 12:49, Updated: Nov 26th 2017 at 12:50
Traders carry on their businesses at the Taveta New Border Market in Taita-Taveta County on Friday, 24th November,2017. [Renson Mnyamwezi/Standard]
SUMMARY
From the harsh treatment, some say authorities in neighbouring country are against trade with Kenyans
On the contrary, those from across the border doing business in Taita Taveta face no trade barriers
Agnes Muteti is a troubled businesswoman. Having been a trader in Tanzania for a while, she says it has been nothing but trouble. She has struggled to do business in a hostile environment.
Muteti, a mother of three, says ruthless Tanzania law enforcement officers have ruined her business.
ALSO READ: 6 Tanzanian schoolchildren killed in a ‘grenade’ explosion
“I have been doing rice business for years but I have now abandoned it due to arbitrary arrests and confiscation of my goods by Tanzania authorities who do not want Kenyans to do business in their country,” she says.
The trader says it is now a nightmare to do business in Tanzania. She says while their counterparts in Tanzania are allowed to freely conduct their business in Taita Taveta County, local traders are subjected to harassment by Tanzania authorities. This is despite the existence of the East Africa Common Market Protocol.
EAC Protocol
Muteti says Tanzanians have been allowed to set up kiosks in Taveta border town while others are hawking fruits, cereals and secondhand clothes without intimidation from local traders and authorities.
She says that in one of the recent incidents, Tanzanians confiscated her 75 bags of rice at the Holili border.
ALSO READ: EAC presidents to discuss Kenya-Tanzania relation
“I have been visiting the border to reclaim my cereals in vain. I am told that the consignment was given to a Tanzanian prison to feed inmates. The authorities cannot allow us to buy cereal and transport it to Kenya,” she claims.
Claims of graft, harassment by Tanzanian police, unnecessary delays are among factors hurting businessmen trading in the neighbouring country.
Local businessmen say the establishment of the East African Community (EAC) is still a mirage and dogged with suspicion and mistrust among residents of the five member states.
Going by trade barriers and imbalances witnessed at Holili in the Kenya-Tanzania border in the recent past, Kenyan traders are not happy with the EAC Common Market Protocol which they claim only favours their neighbours.
Muteti is not the only trader who has suffered under the hands of ruthless Tanzania police officers.
Another trader Mwenda Nzioka says the new Taveta market is flooded with horticultural products from Tanzania.
“We have been misplaced by Tanzanian traders who are controlling the market at the expense of locals,” he told Sunday Standard.
“We are not allowed to do business in Tanzania without international trade licenses. Many Tanzanians doing business in Kenya have no such licenses. The cross-border trade favours Tanzanians,” says Nzioka who deals in cereals. He was arrested at Kea near Arusha town while transporting cereals to Kenya and his consignment confiscated.
“There are no trade restrictions in Uganda and Sudan,” says the trader who has been doing cross-border business for 20 years.
He says Tanzania authorities have increased tariffs from Sh2,000 to Sh5,000 which has made it impossible for them to conduct business.
Youth looking for jobs have also not been spared by the authorities.
John Musembi says he was chased away by the authorities when he went there to look for a job. “Traders and authorities in Tanzania have been very hostile to us,” added Regina Mutinda.
She says Tanzanians buy cooking oil, fuel among other items in Kenya but Kenyans are not to do the same while across the border.
Heavy losses
Ms Mutinda says she was recently ordered to return several bags of onions she had bought from Tanzanian farmers.
ALSO READ: Anti-terror police arrest two Al-Shabaab-linked Tanzanians
“I incurred losses because I had to obey the order,” the trader says.
She says traders from Tanzania have been transporting cereals to Taveta border town where they sell and make huge profits.
“We used to buy maize cheaply using Tanzania currency but authorities no longer allow us to trade in the neighbouring country. Our counterparts in Tanzania bring maize to Taveta and do lucrative business,” she says.
“We do not get profit if we buy maize locally. A number of local traders have resorted to buying maize in Uganda to avoid exploitation,” says Mutinda.
Taveta Deputy County Commissioner Henry Wafula confirmed that several Kenya businessmen had complained to his office about harassment by Tanzania authorities.
“It is true that local traders have complained that they are not being allowed to buy maize in Tanzania. I will liaise with my Tanzania counterpart in Rombo to address the matter,” said the administrator.
In a recent stakeholders meeting, former Governor John Mruttu said traders among them maize and gemstone dealers were being subjected to arbitrary arrests while conducting business in Tanzania.
ALSO READ: Tanzania's fuel prices rise on weaker currency
This is despite a joint communiqué signed by the two countries to reduce non-tariff barriers in all border points a couple years ago.
Level playing field
“We thought the signing of the agreement will bring a sign of relief to Kenyan traders but has become a night mare. Tanzania authorities have ignored the agreement together with the EAC Treaty signed by the five member states,” says the former governor.
He said the East African Community (EAC) integration laws are still favouring citizens of one state.
Residents and leaders say laws that do not provide level ground for all the citizens should be reviewed.
“We cannot talk of EAC yet laws are still favouring citizens of one country. We need to have standard laws that will provide a level playing field for all citizens of EAC member States,” said Mruttu.
He said the current laws have failed to facilitate cross border and intra-regional trade between.
Kenya traders on Taveta border complain of harassment by Tanzania authorities
MY TAKE
As far as i know cereal export business was banned n communication being reported even by Kenyan media. Unless Kenyan business people r so stupid then they should have thought Tanzania is a lawless country. Poleni sana next time msijaribu. The fact is the incidence is Just like Tanzanians loss of their merchandise at Gikomba where Kenyans torch their shops/standa everyday n go unreported.
