Senator Cherargei urges diplomatic retaliation over Tanzania’s business ban
Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei has called on the Kenyan government to take firm retaliatory measures in response to a recent decision by the Tanzanian government to ban foreign citizens from conducting business within its borders.
His remarks come amid growing diplomatic tensions between the two East African neighbours, raising concern about the future of regional integration under the East African Community (EAC).
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In a statement on his X account on Wednesday, July 30, 2025, Cherargei termed Tanzania’s move as both hostile and a threat to the progress made in regional economic cooperation.
“H.E. Suluhu’s government should reconsider its ban on Kenya’s businesses. Kenya is one of Tanzania’s critical business partners, and such a move will undermine the East African Community (EAC) integration process through EAC trade protocols,” the statement read.
The Tanzanian government’s directive, which restricts foreign nationals from engaging in local business activities, is seen as a violation of the EAC Common Market Protocol, which guarantees the free movement of goods, services, labour, and capital among member states.
Kenya and Tanzania are both signatories to this regional agreement, which aims to foster cross-border trade and economic growth.
Cherargei further suggested that the recent conduct of some Kenyan activists in Tanzania may have inflamed the current diplomatic rift.
“This is also courtesy of the bad behaviour of our activists recently in Tanzania by meddling in their affairs,” he noted, referring to unspecified incidents that may have irked Tanzanian authorities.
Kenya’s foreign policy test?
He urged the Kenyan government not to remain passive in the face of what he described as unfair treatment.
“The Kenyan government must retaliate by also banning Tanzanian businesses in Kenya, including street beggars from Tanzania in our cities and towns,” the lawmaker said.
Kenya exports a variety of goods to Tanzania, including manufactured products, foodstuffs, and machinery. In return, Tanzania is a major exporter of agricultural produce, minerals, and livestock products to Kenya. Hundreds of businesses and informal traders operate across the border daily, making the region one of the most economically interconnected in sub-Saharan Africa.
Despite these economic links, diplomatic relations between Nairobi and Dodoma have historically been punctuated by moments of tension, often triggered by trade disputes, immigration policies, and accusations of non-tariff barriers.
Cherargei’s call for reciprocity echoes growing sentiment among some Kenyan lawmakers who believe that Nairobi must adopt a more assertive approach in defending its national interests and economic sovereignty.
“It is time Kenya stops playing nice when its citizens and businesses are being targeted unfairly,” he charged.
