Kikwete tells Uhuru he’s sure CCM will retain the presidency
President Jakaya Kikwete and his Kenyan counterpart, Mr Uhuru Kenyatta, chat during yesterday’s inauguration of the road linking Holili and Taveta. PHOTO | NMG
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For his part, President Kenyatta, without mentioning the CCM, said he believed Tanzanians would keep on supporting the government and the party that maintained peace, unity and development in Tanzania.
Taveta, Kenya. President Jakaya Kikwete has told his Kenyan counterpart Uhuru Kenyatta that Tanzania’s incumbent party, the CCM, will emerge victorious in the General Election come October 25.
For his part, President Kenyatta, without mentioning the CCM, said he believed Tanzanians would keep on supporting the government and the party that maintained peace, unity and development in Tanzania.
The two leaders made the remarks in Taveta, Kenya, at the launch of the upgrading to tarmac level the 98.4km Taveta-Voi-Mwatete highway.
The roadworks, which started in May 2014 and scheduled for completion in May 2017, is funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB), at Ksh8.4 billion (about Sh168 billion).
Speaking at the launch ceremony, President Kikwete explained to his counterpart and citizens of the two countries at the ceremony, that he was pleased that the event provided him with the opportunity to bid farewell to Kenyans.
“President Kenyatta invited me at the right time. Twenty one days from today (yesterday) we’ll be voting for a new president,” said Mr Kikwete, who realised that his audience was keen on who the next Tanzanian president would be.
“You are asking me: who? He will come from my party... I’m not worried about that. This is a great opportunity for me to be here and bid farewell to Kenyans,” said President Kikwete.
President Kenyatta wished his Tanzanian counterpart all the best as he prepares to retire from presidency, calling upon him (Kikwete) to help him show the way as to which job retired presidents were supposed to do after retiring from presidency.
“You will be showing us what a retired president is supposed to do when our turns come to step aside to let someone else take over the leadership. We wish you all the best in the election campaigns,” he said.
Speaking over ongoing road construction projects in both Kenya and Tanzania respectively, President Kikwete said such roads had for five years magnified businesses to 40 per cent between the two countries. “In its completion, the road will increase another 10 per cent. I have come to bid you farewell but I have also come to assure you that Tanzania will continue to be in good bilateral relations with Kenya” President Kikwete asserted.
President Kikwete said there was no need of spoiling the two countries’ bilateral relations, adding that even if there would be a person to do so, s/he would fail as he was aware that there were some people with ill-intentions who could try.
The Tanzanian leader said the construction of the road was very important, especially to residents of northern regions as in its completion it would shorten a time trip to 2:30 from 14 hours previously.
“As the state of the road was, a journey from Arusha to Mombasa was very long as it took up to 14 hours. When this road is completed, it will take about 2:30 hours,” President Kikwete pointed out.
He explained that the construction of the road under the AfDB sponsorship was part of the strategies by the East African countries to connect road networks of the member countries.
For his part, President Kenyatta said the launch of the road was an initial indication of the start of the improvement of economies and doing businesses efficiently between Tanzania and Kenya.
