The reaction in Kenya was swift and sharp after Tanzania earlier in the week had cancelled the proposed meeting in Arusha between the two tourism ministers and their respective delegations, which was to follow up on a meeting held last month in Nairobi.
Kenya’s tourism cabinet secretary who also holds the portfolio for East African Affairs, yesterday announced the restoration of a ban for Tanzanian-registered vehicles trying to access Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi.
With many tens of thousands of visitors to Tanzania using JKIA, mainly for better connectivity and substantially more flights, before taking the half-day drive to Arusha from where they then start their safari, this will deal once again a heavy blow to Tanzanian safari operators.
“They dilly dallied with us,” wrote a source who got the announcement yesterday close up and communicated the events. “We gave them ample time to arrive at a position to bring to the table, and for the duration of their internal consultations lifted the restriction on their cars. They failed to honor the deadline we had agreed [upon]. Instead they were giving mixed signals that they need several more weeks to consult before they can meet us. Effectively they were trying to string Kenya along until the end of the high season at Easter.
“Now they reap what they sowed. We were ready with our agenda to sit and discuss the aspects of amending the 1985 Arusha Accord which governs the access of both countries’ safari operators into each others’ territory. This is very regrettable, but the outcome, failing to make it to the talks, was also very predictable,” the source added.
Vehicles from Tanzania will now once again have to seek the services of a Kenyan transporter or safari company to take their clients to the airport from an agreed drop-off/pick-up point. “The traffic police will not permit these exchanges to be done by the side of the road, because it is too dangerous. The Tanzanian vehicles must seek a secure place, maybe one of the restaurants along the Mombasa highway out of the city, to meet their contracted transporter. It is there that the bags will be moved from one car to the other and where the tourists change buses. The same applies when tourists arrive at JKIA. They must be picked by a Kenyan transporter and will then be taken to an agreed change-over point for the same procedure,” contributed another regular source in the know about how the exchange will very likely work.
“Let me sound a warning to the Tanzanian drivers,” added yet another regular contributor before adding, “If they foul-mouth us with their clients, that this is a bad thing Kenya is doing to them to punish them for choosing to visit Tanzania; they will see us. We had about enough of their rubbish. Just remember how our drivers are constantly treated in Namanga when crossing to Tanzania trying to deliver clients to Arusha. Today it is this, and tomorrow it as another fee again or another costly permit needed. We did not have this under the former President Mkapa; it was under Kikwete that all this rubbish started again.
“The Northern Corridor cooperation is a good example how countries can benefit, even if you keep singling out our Civil Aviation Authority for blocking landing rights. We know they have faults and are sorting this out. But with Tanzania, the situation is different. They just don’t want to be proper partners but only have it their way. Well, this time, that has failed.”
From the Tanzanian side comments were slow in coming as the news on a Friday did not apparently reach all affected stakeholders in Arusha. They will probably read the news in the morning papers or via communication from their trade association TATO, short for Tanzania Association of Tour Operators, which reportedly is working on a statement for their members.
After contacting two individuals by phone in Arusha, one decline to respond, saying he was too shocked to say anything at the moment, but the other said: “We very much regret the Kenyan reaction. Sections of us were ready to meet on the 5th as we had agreed. Some people, however, prevailed to have the minister change his mind and delay the talks. If this was done with the motive to provoke such a response, I would not know. What I do know is that key aspects of what we wanted to talk about were ready. We should have honored the date and the invitation to Kenya to come to Arusha. Making some progress would have been better than none at all. If any contentious points remained after the meeting we could agree on another round of discussions.
“I personally blame some forces intent to spoil our brotherly relations with Kenya. And let me be clear, I think this is already electioneering. Trying to score points about being nationalistic ahead of the campaign, and what better way than blame Kenya. We have a referendum on the new constitution at the end of April and that already will show which way Tanzania is heading. The elections in October might bring change. But some prefer to create hostilities and produce shadow enemies abroad to ride on. Kenya is not an enemy, Kenya is our partner. What you call tit for tat is not good for either of us. Ask our minister when you have a chance what really the reason was for the postponement. Of course, he will not tell the truth, politicians never do. I blame him and his aspirations for his political future, full stop.”
Marketing Eastern Africa as one destination with many attractions has always been a key objective of this correspondent when still holding the position as President of the Uganda Tourism Association, pushing this position at many meetings of the Committee for Tourism and Wildlife Management at the East African Community in Arusha, and arguing that the region will be stronger if choosing a united approach as opposed to a divided if not separatist marketing strategy. Making access to the national parks in the region easier, and among other measures, using a common tourist visa which now exists for Uganda, Rwanda, and Kenya, will bring the cost of safaris down and attract more visitors to the region. How this can be accomplished under these challenging circumstances, with the world’s largest tourism consumer show, ITB Berlin, just weeks away, is now less clear though.
The best one can hope for is for common sense to prevail, the two protagonists to sit down on the double and hold candid and frank talks about how to resolve their differences. If need be, either Uganda or Rwanda will surely be happy to host such a meeting on neutral ground and act, if asked, as mediator. As said before, united we stand and divided we shall fall, especially considering the onslaught on our region’s tourism business source markets by a rejuvenated and more determined RETOSA. Our main competitors are not our neighbors but the southern part of Africa, and the sooner the powers that be come to terms with that, put their differences behind them, and join hands again, the better.
