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 Loitokok.
"Kenya must be serious. Let us join the president in his war against Coronavirus. However, we urge him to deploy KDF to man the borders as there are panya routes that are being used to sneak into Kenya.
"Let the KDF be spread along the borders as the police man entry points and nearby villages. We have neighbours who are ill-minded and have derailed the fight against Covid-19," Sakwa stated.
The MP lamented that Kenya was not prepared to manage a worsening crisis as hospitals were unequipped.
The border issue is poised to worsen Kenya's relationship with Tanzania that has always been frosty.
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.
On the very same day, University of Nairobi's Dr Jane Thuo, differed with Oguna, warning that Kenya's relationship with Tanzania would deteriorate.
"Officially Tanzanians will be stopped from coming to Kenya and our past relationships have been distant. This will raise some diplomatic sparks," she stated.
"Neighbours have to live with another. We need to have mutual respect and be genuine between each other. am proud of how Kenyatta has reached out to Magufuli and I hope they will respond and find an amicable solution," Dr Thuo added while speaking with Kenyans.co.ke on Tuesday, May 19.
Kenyatta on Tuesday, May 19, delivered a brotherly message to his Tanzanian counterpart John Pombe Magufuli through Kenyan Ambassador to Tanzania Dan Kanzungu after a border war. Kazungu, spoke to the media as the two neighbours engaged in a disagreement over border protocols amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
"President Uhuru Kenyatta says he does not look at Tanzania as a neighbour, he instead looks at Tanzania as brothers, in his heart Tanzanians are not neighbours, Tanzanians are brothers. Let's be more understanding because people are the same, let us do business, we thrive, let us fight poverty and get opportunities for our children to get jobs," noted the Ambassador.
Video: Daily Nation/SDE
