Tuesday, 6th October, 2015

Your Excellency, Hon. (Dr.)

accord an opportunity to His Excellency the President of the United Republic of Tanzania who is on a State visit in Kenya to address our Parliament.

Hon. Members, having consented to the request, the Speakers of the Houses of Parliament called for the Joint Sitting of Parliament and consequently I gave notice of the Joint Sitting vide Kenya Gazette Notice No.7371 dated 1st October 2015 to the Members of the National Assembly. The Speaker of the Senate vide Kenya Gazette Notice No.7372 of 1st October 2015 did give notice of this Joint Sitting of all the Senators.

In this respect, Hon. Members, I declare this Joint Sitting properly convened and is now my singular honour and privilege to invite His Excellency Hon. (Dr.) Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, President of the United Republic of Tanzania, to address this Joint Sitting of Parliament.

Thank you, Hon. Members. (Applause)

Police Forces. They have been sharing information and intelligence. They have arrested suspected terrorists who flee to Tanzania after committing crimes in Kenya. We never hesitated to send them back to Kenya to face justice.

Hon. Speakers, we also have robust and long-standing co-operation in the fight against narcotic drugs and cross-border crime. This way, we have been able to deal with criminal gangs operating in our two countries. Recently, we began to develop co-operation in fighting poaching and illegal trade in wildlife products.

This co-operation has worked well for our two countries. What is required of us going forward is to strengthen and advance this co-operation. Let us make it clear to criminals that if they cause trouble in any of our countries, there will be nowhere to run to, and nowhere to hide.

On the social economic front, there has been vibrant cooperation as well. Our two countries have been undertaking joint infrastructure projects. Take for example and I will mention a few because we have a number of them, the Athi River-Namanga-Arusha Road, which was completed in 2012. This was a joint project. Our two countries pitched for support together from the African Development Bank (ADB) and the Japanese Government. They gave money to our two countries and we implemented it as one project.

Currently we are now doing the Mwatate-Taveta-Holili-Moshi- Arusha Road. As you know, my first function in my visit to Kenya this time round was in Taveta. We were together with President Uhuru Kenyatta as we inaugurated the construction of this road on the Kenyan side. We are working on a suitable date to do the same for the road on the Tanzanian side.

Actually, in the top 10 list, there are only two African countries; Kenya and South Africa and Kenya is the leader, South Africa follows.

Kenya’s investments in Tanzania account for about 518 projects, with the total value of USD$1.685billion. The projects have created 55,762 jobs. Kenya is Tanzania’s largest trading partner in East Africa. Trade between our two countries has been growing very fast. In the last five years alone, trade has increased by 40 per cent. Tanzania’s export to Kenya have increased from USD$179.3million in 2009 to USD$227.1million in 2013. Imports from Kenya have increased from USD$301.5million to USD$333.6 million during the same period. I am told trade between our two countries accounts for over 80 to 90 per cent of trade in the East African market.

I will leave office fully satisfied that I leave behind strong bonds of friendship and co- operation between our two countries and people. I would like to assure you that Tanzania’s policy towards Kenya will remain the same even after I have left office. I do not see anyone crazy to destabilise that. It serves nobody’s interest and, if anything, there will be stronger and closer co-operation in the coming years. I know there is a lot of anxiety and speculation about what will happen after the elections. Maneno mengi sana yanasemwa na kila mtu ana maneno yake but have no worries; have no fear but have peace of mind. This is because I do not see any change or shift of policy of Tanzania towards Kenya. If my party’s candidate wins in the elections that is completely assured. This is because it is the policy of our party.

Zungumza kwa Kiswahili sasa.

Ndiyo.

Mpaka tukafika mahali tukaelewana. Mwafaka ukapatikana - kwa lugha ya kule kwetu. Tukatoka pale nje tukakutana na wakubwa wale wakatia sahihi. Kenya ikapata mwelekeo mpya wa kisiasa. Kenya mpya ikazaliwa ya Wakenya wanaopendana bila kubaguana. Ningewaomba muendelee na mwelekeo ule ule.

Yale mabaya ambayo yalitokea wakati ule yawe fundisho kuzuia mengine ya namna ile yasitokee. Mungu ni mwema, mwafaka ukapatikana na Kenya imeweza kupata amani. Lakini ushirikiano wetu haukuishia hapo ndiyo maana kila wakati kukitokea tukio la ugaidi watu wakiuawa na wengine wakiumia, huwa nampigia Rais simu na kumpa pole. Vyombo vya ulinzi na usalama (Intelligence Services and Police Force) vya nchi zetu mbili vina ushirikiano wa karibu. Wakati mwingine, wale watu wakishafanya hujuma huku wanakimbilia kwetu.Na sisi tukiwajua tunawakamata. Lakini tunawarudisha kimya kimya tu. Hatusemi na mtu. Maana wengine watakuja kusema tunavunja haki za kibinadamu. Yameisha hayo.

(Laugher) Tunawarudisha kimya kimya. Wanakuja huku na wanakwenda kwenye taratibu za kawaida za kimahakama. Na nilichokuwa nimesema ni kwamba tumeweka msimamo wa nchi zetu sisi. Hakuna mtu atakayefanya uhalifu Kenya akadhani kwamba Tanzania ndio mahali pa kukimbilia.

Sasa sijui litapita wapi. Litakwenda Mombasa ama litakuja Nairobi? Hiyo habari tunawaachia wenyewe. Wiki ijayo, nadhani kama kila kitu kitaenda sawa sawa, tutamaliza makubaliano juu ya mradi huu. Mradi huu utaongezea Kenya uwezo mkubwa wa kupata umeme mwingi kwa gharama nafuu.

(Appaluse) Nchi zetu mbili zina ushirikiano wa karibu sana katika biashara na uwekezaji. Kwa lugha ya Kiingereza ni strong bonds of cooperation in investments and trade. Ninachosema ni sisi Tanzania hatuna ushindani na Kenya. Sisi Tanzania na Kenya ni partners au mshirika wa kimkakati - Strategic partner.

mpaka mkavimbiwa? Huwezi kula pamba, ufuta na vitu vingine vyote. Ni lazima kiongozi yeyote mwenye busara atatafuta masoko ya bidhaa za nchi yake.

Waheshimiwa tuendelee kusimama. Mhe.

Nidhamu! Nidhamu!

jirani mwema, Rais Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, Bunge la Kitaifa litaahirishwa kwa muda wa dakika