Kenyans react to Ruto praising Tanzania
Regional Unity in Focus: Tanzania's President Samia Suluhu Hassan warmly shakes hands with Kenya's President William Ruto during the IDA Africa Heads of State Summit. Their collaboration reflects the growing trade ties in East Africa, with Tanzania recently surpassing Kenya as the region's top trading nation.
What you need to know:
- Ruto's comments sparked heated reactions on X (formerly Twitter), with many Kenyans expressing dissatisfaction. Critics pointed to his policies as a contributing factor to Kenya's perceived economic struggles.
Dar es Salaam. Kenyans have reacted strongly to President William Ruto's recent remarks praising Tanzania for surpassing Kenya as East Africa's top trading country. Speaking during the 25th commemoration of the East African Community (EAC) in Arusha, Tanzania, President Ruto acknowledged Kenya's decline in regional trade dominance, commending Tanzania's progress.
"I commend Tanzania for overtaking Kenya in goods and services that we trade in within East Africa. Kenya was the leading country in terms of goods and services in the region. Today, Tanzania has overtaken Kenya," Ruto stated. He emphasized the importance of a robust regional market, adding, "If we are to prosper, we need a big enough market for our people to trade and invest."
Ruto's comments sparked heated reactions on X (formerly Twitter), with many Kenyans expressing dissatisfaction. Critics pointed to his policies as a contributing factor to Kenya's perceived economic struggles.
"What kind of reasoning is this? Our economy is in tatters, and he wants to commend Tanzania instead of resigning!" one user wrote. Another criticized the president, calling his remarks "shameless," while others attributed Kenya's lag to "punitive policies."
Amid the criticism, a few voices supported Ruto's stance, applauding him for embracing regional integration and acknowledging the growth of intra-regional trade.
In November 2024, The Citizen reported that Tanzania surpassed Kenya as Uganda's largest source of imports in Africa.
The Bank of Uganda noted the landlocked country imported $4.17 billion worth of products from COMESA and the rest of Africa in the year that ended in June 2024, with Tanzania accounting for nearly half of this total.
In the year ended June 2024, Tanzania accounted for 42.56 percent of Uganda's imports from Africa, while Kenya and South Africa accounted for 19.55 percent and 6.43 percent, respectively
According to the Uganda Revenue Authority, Uganda mainly imports gold, rolled iron or non-alloy steel, carboys and groundnuts, bottles, and flasks from Tanzania.
