DODOMA, Tanzania May 5 \u2013 President William Ruto addressed the Tanzanian Parliament in Dodoma on Tuesday, calling for deeper investment ties between Kenya and Tanzania and warning against narratives that fuel division among East African nations.<\/p>\n
The President said regional relations have long been undermined by competition, suspicion, and rivalry, which he noted have fragmented markets and weakened Africa\u2019s collective economic power.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we are honest with ourselves, \u2018ndugu jirani\u2019, some of these forces are still very alive with us. They still shape our narratives,\u201d Ruto told lawmakers.<\/p>\n
He reminded the House that Kenya and Tanzania\u2019s founding leaders, Julius Nyerere and Jomo Kenyatta, envisioned a united East Africa built on cooperation rather than isolation.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey understood that Africa\u2019s future would not be secured in isolation but in unity,\u201d he said, noting that the two leaders laid the foundation for regional integration.<\/p>\n
Ruto said Kenya and Tanzania share a long history of solidarity, including cooperation during Kenya\u2019s independence struggle.<\/p>\n
\u201cEven during the Mau Mau period, Tanzania stood with Kenya, affirming a shared belief in freedom and dignity,\u201d he added<\/p>\n
The President expressed Kenya\u2019s commitment to regional integration, saying his government supports investment in the proposed oil refinery in Tanga, Tanzania.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile I would have preferred such a facility in Mombasa, I fully recognise that Tanga, less than 200km away, is part of the same economic space,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He added that Kenya is actively supporting investment flows into Tanzania, emphasizing that such projects benefit the entire region.<\/p>\n
\u201cPersonally, I am helping to bring investment to Tanga. Let us work together as East Africans,\u201d Ruto said.<\/p>\n
He stressed that economic progress in one country should not be viewed in isolation, adding: \u201cWhat is good for Tanzania is good for Kenya, and what is good for Kenya is good for Tanzania.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ruto further said Kenya and Tanzania are not competitors but partners in development, urging both sides to focus on shared challenges.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur enemies are poverty, unemployment and joblessness,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The President also called on African countries to accelerate regional integration, saying it is key to boosting trade, competitiveness, and job creation.<\/p>\n
He said integration would help unlock opportunities for young people, who he described as central to the continent\u2019s future prosperity.<\/p>\n
On infrastructure, Ruto highlighted several cross-border projects, including the Malindi\u2013Lunga Lunga\u2013Dar es Salaam corridor, the planned Voi\u2013Singida\u2013Burundi railway, and the 400kV Kenya\u2013Tanzania power interconnector.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese projects are not just infrastructure; they are economic lifelines that connect our people and markets,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He also pointed to Uganda\u2019s acquisition of a stake in the Kenya Pipeline Company as an example of growing regional ownership of shared assets.<\/p>\n
Ruto noted that Kenya and Tanzania are increasingly economically interdependent, with bilateral trade reaching $860 million in 2025 and projected to hit $1 billion this year.<\/p>\n
Kenyan firms have invested more than $1.7 billion in Tanzania, while Tanzanian investments in Kenya now exceed $336 million.<\/p>\n
He said this growing private sector confidence reflects the strength of regional cooperation.<\/p>\n
Tanzanian lawmakers praised Ruto\u2019s address, with Speaker Mussa Azzan Zungu emphasizing the importance of peace for regional development.<\/p>\n
Tanga MP Jumaa Aweso welcomed the proposed oil refinery, describing it as a symbol of practical leadership and cooperation.<\/p>\n
Ikungi West MP Elibariki Kingu said Ruto\u2019s speech reflected the ideals of Africa\u2019s founding fathers.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe reminded us that the dreams of Julius Nyerere and Jomo Kenyatta live on,\u201d he said, adding that Kenyans made \u201cno mistake\u201d in electing Ruto.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
DODOMA, Tanzania May 5 \u2013 President William Ruto addressed the Tanzanian Parliament in Dodoma on Tuesday, calling for deeper investment ties between Kenya and Tanzania and warning against narratives that fuel division among East African nations. The President said regional relations have long been undermined by competition, suspicion, and rivalry, which he noted have fragmented […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-139940","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","entry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/139940","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=139940"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/139940\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=139940"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=139940"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=139940"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}