Kenya has arrested 109 Tanzanians for conducting illegal activities in the country, sparking fears of a fresh diplomatic row.
The Kenya
Navy on Saturday arrested 109 Tanzanians for illegal fishing within the
country’s territorial waters in the Indian Ocean.
The
Tanzanian fishermen were seized at Shimoni, a port village in southeastern
Kenya near the border with Tanzania and were presented before a court in Kwale
County on Monday.
playShimoni, a port village in southeastern Kenya near the border with Tanzania. (Maritime & Transport Business Solutions)
They were
remanded after they failed to raise a cash bail of Ksh20,000 ($200) each
according to Lunga Lunga deputy county deputy commissioner Mr Josphat Biwott.
Lunga
Lunga Member of Parliament, Khatib Mwashetani, however, came to their defence
and appealed for the fishermen’s release.
playThe fishermen were remanded after they failed to raise a cash bail of Ksh20,000 ($200) each. (twitter)
Speaking
at Kwale Baraza Park during the World Environment Day on Tuesday, the
legislator said some of the fishermen arrested lived in the country and urged
Deputy President William Ruto to intervene fearing a diplomatic row with
Tanzania will unfold if the fishermen are held up.
“Those
who were arrested are our brothers and we share a lot in common because most of
the people living in Shimoni depend on fishing for their livelihood,” he said.
Kenya and
Tanzania have had a series of diplomatic and trade disputes that sour relations
between the two neighbours.
playDP William Ruto and Lunga Lunga MP Khatib Mwashetani at Juakali Primary School. (the star)
The two
countries are currently embroiled in a bittersweet row.
Kenya has
issued Tanzania with a 30-day ultimatum to allow Kenyan-made confectionery
products into their country or risk Tanzanian goods being blocked from entering
Kenya.
This is
after Tanzania and Uganda last month slapped Kenyan made sweets, juice, ice
cream and chewing gum with a 25 per cent import duty citing the use of imported
industrial sugar in the goods.
playThe newly completed Lunga Lunga one-stop border post. (KNA)
In
January this year, Tanzania deported over 100 aliens including 71 Kenyans for
being in the country illegally according to Kilimanjaro Immigration Office.
Earlier
this year, the two countries in a bid to reduce conflicts began an exercise to
mark the boundary by replacing dilapidated and missing beacons and developing a
vista along the common border.
The
Kenya-Tanzania border is shared among communities from both sides and there has
been cross-border business, agriculture and cattle grazing, especially by
Maasai herders.
