The Kenyan government has downplayed Tanzania President John Magufuli’s absence from the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (Ticad), as murmurs rise over his commitment to regional integration.
Foreign Affairs CS Amina Mohamed on Monday said President Magufuli had sent a representative, Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa.
“He is not the only one who didn’t attend. In fact, he was well represented so there is nothing to worry about. Tanzania and Kenya have excellent relations, so let us not dwell on the negatives,” Ms Mohamed said in a phone interview.
The Tanzanian leader has only travelled to Uganda and Rwanda since coming to power last October.
Unlike his predecessor Jakaya Kikwete, who was known to make many foreign trips, President Magufuli has been concentrating on domestic issues, cracking down on corruption in the public service.
His first foreign trip was to Rwanda in April to commemorate the 22nd anniversary of the genocide. The next month, he attended the inauguration of President Museveni for his fifth term.
He has skipped at least five international meetings, including the World Trade Organisation (WTO) conference in Nairobi last December, the AU Summit in Addis Ababa in January, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (Unctad) in Nairobi last month as well as the AU Summit in Kigali.
Ticad was expected to finally bring him to Kenya, especially with Japan dangling massive infrastructure pledges.
In his April visit to Rwanda, President Magufuli also witnessed the opening of the Rusumo International Bridge that links Tanzania and Rwanda whose construction was funded by the Japanese.
UNWRITTEN RULE
On Monday, Ms Mohamed said President Magufuli has indicated he will visit Kenya at a later date. “It is not that he has refused to visit. We just need to agree on a date. Remember, we have also not visited all the countries,” she said.
In the East African Community though, there is an unwritten rule that a newly elected leader visits partner states at least within the first two years of their presidency.
President Uhuru Kenyatta has been to Tanzania three times, including for the inauguration of Mr Magufuli. He has been to Rwanda, made a state visit to Uganda and travelled to Burundi since he came to power in April 2013. He has also been to South Sudan.
Of the EAC leaders, only Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni and Somalia’s Hassan Sheikh Mohamud attended Ticad. Burundi sent second Vice President Joseph Butore, South Sudan was represented by James Wani Igga, the second Vice President and the First Lady, Mary Ayen Mayardt, also travelled.
Sudan whose President Omar al-Bashir had confirmed attending later cancelled and sent First Vice President Bakari Hassan Salih.
DR Congo sent Foreign Affairs Minister Raymond Tshibanda and so was Ethiopia’s Dr Tedros Adhanom who represented Ethiopian PM Hailemariam Desalegn. From Eritrea came Osman Saleh Mohammed, Minister of Foreign Affairs.
-nation.co.ke
