Kenya-Tanzania Flight Ban Dispute Raises Concerns
Tensions rise between Kenya and Tanzania as the latter announces the withdrawal of approval for Kenya’s flagship carrier, Kenya Airways, to operate passenger services between the two countries starting January 22.
The decision comes in response to Kenya denying Air Tanzania the necessary approvals for operating cargo flights between the nations.
Kenya Airways, a significant player in the region, runs daily flights to Dar Es Salam, and the sudden ban has raised concerns among passengers. However, Kenyan Foreign Affairs Minister Musalia W Mudavadi assures the public that both countries have agreed to resolve the matter amicably.
He states, “We have jointly agreed that our respective Civil Aviation Authorities will work together to have the matter resolved within the next three days. There should therefore be no cause for alarm.”
This aviation dispute adds to a series of trade disagreements within the East African Community regional economic bloc. Kenya has previously imposed restrictions on the importation of milk from Uganda and farm produce from Tanzania. In response, Tanzania has limited the importation of onions to Kenya, resulting in a surge in prices for this essential commodity.
The ongoing trade tensions have strained relations between East African nations, impacting various sectors, including aviation and agriculture.
Additionally, Uganda has taken legal action against Kenya at the East African Court of Justice, challenging the denial of a license for the government-owned oil marketer, Uganda National Oil Co., to operate and handle fuel imports at Kenya’s Mombasa port destined for Kampala.
The region now faces the challenge of finding diplomatic solutions to these disputes to ensure stable economic and trade relations among its member states.
Additional Source: AfricaNews
