Tanzanian President John Magufuli in a past event. Uhuru Kenyatta wrote him over NASA’s move to set a parallel tallying center in Tanzania. Photo/courtesy]
Details about diminishing relationship between President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Tanzanian counterpart, John Magufuli have emerged with few days to Kenyan elections.
Despite being arguably most influential leaders in the region, they have not had the best of relationships in Magufuli’s closeness with Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga is anything to go by.
Any according to the Daily Nation, Kenyan authorities wrote to Tanzania challenging her decision to allow Odinga to set a parallel tallying center in the neighboring nation.
Although Tanzanian government is yet to respond, Uhuru Kenyatta’s government is said to have also been angered with what they termed as ‘external’ interference by the neighboring country.
With an aim to ensure credibility in August elections, Odinga is said to have established a parallel tallying centre in Kigamboni, in the suburbs of Dar es salaam, with another one rumoured to be in Germany.
Tanzania and Kenya have been embroiled in frosty relationship given that Kenyan authorities, in what is believed to retort ion, imposed sanctions on Tanzania’s wheat exports to the country over border row in Namanga.
Recently, Kenyatta’s reelection was backed by Tanzanian opposition Chadema, a move that elicited criticism from their Kenyan counterparts.
On the other hand, Magufuli has a soft spot on Odinga given that sometimes last year in his rural home; he hosted the veteran leader for a week.