- Kenya and Tanzania's diplomatic relations deteriorated during the late president John Pombe Magufuli's tenure
- During his reign, Magufuli made it clear Kenya was no longer Tanzania's important trading partner and often belittled Nairobi's achievements
- The newly sworn-in President Samia Suluhu has, however, vowed to restore the ties between the two East African neighbours
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Kenya has had a frosty relationship with its Swahili-speaking neighbour, Tanzania, for about five years since the late president John Pombe Magufuli took over power in 2015.
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During his tenure, Magufuli made it clear Kenya was no longer Tanzania's important trading partner and often belittled Nairobi's achievements.
Following his death, his deputy Samia Suluhu was sworn in and made history as the first female head of state in the East African country.
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Suluhu, 63, has made an about-turn and promised to improve the hot and cold relations between the two countries that were witnessed under Magufuli's reign.
On Saturday, April 10, Suluhu hosted Sports Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed for diplomatic talks in what is viewed as one of her strategies to solve the disputes between Dodoma and Nairobi.
During their meeting held at State House, Dar es Salaam, Amina, who has vast experience in diplomacy, delivered a goodwill message from President Uhuru Kenyatta as Kenya's special envoy.
The former Foreign Affairs CS also urged Suluhu to make an official visit to Kenya as the efforts to restore diplomatic ties gains momentum.
Kenya and Tanzania's on and off friendship
Kenya and Tanzania have been trading partners for a long time and enjoyed great bilateral relations after independence until 1977, when the East African Community (EAC) collapsed.
The two countries then cut diplomatic ties due to ideological differences.
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In 1983, they resumed diplomatic relations, and even though both nations enjoy healthy relations, they have been at odds over economic and logistic issues, which became worse during Magufuli's administration.
In 2018, for instance, Tanzania burnt 5,000 chicks alive that they say were illegally imported from Kenya.
Provincial Secretary Maria Mashingo claimed the importer lacked sufficient documentation and was wary of bird flu transmission into Tanzania.
In another case, diplomatic tensions threatened to flare up again after Magufuli banned the Maasai community from Kenya from herding their cattle in his country.
The late leader, nicknamed the bulldozer, argued Tanzania was not grazing land for cattle from Kenya.
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Source: TUKO.co.ke
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