Kenya protests: Tanzanian traders wary of impact to business

Published 2023년 3월 31일

Tridge summary

Protests led by Kenyan opposition leader, Raila Odinga, over the high cost of living and allegations of election theft have resulted in weekly demonstrations that have turned violent, leading to the death of two civilians and injury of over 130 people, including 51 police officers and 85 civilians. The protests have disrupted cross-border trade between Kenya and Tanzania, with Kenyans unable to enter Tanzania to conduct business and Tanzanian traders suffering significant losses. The international community and religious leaders have called for peace and dialogue to address the unrest.

Disclaimer:The above summary was generated by Tridge's proprietary AI model for informational purposes.

Original content

Traders who use the Tanzania-Kenya border crossing of Namanga said business is no longer as usual after veteran Kenyan opposition leader, Raila Odinga, called for weekly protests. Odinga accuses President William Ruto's government of failing to tackle the high cost of living. Most Tanzanian traders deal in corn, making Tanzania the largest exporter of corn to Kenya. Tanzania sells about 72,460 tons (65.7m kilograms) of corn to Kenya annually. In contrast, the annual demand for corn in Kenya is estimated to be 600,000 tons. The traders who spoke to DW at the Namanga border crossing said that Kenyan politicians should deal with the current situation so that they can resume doing business inside Kenya. However, most are worried for their safety and fear looters, who often take advantage of the demonstrations and steal their merchandise. "Demonstrations in Kenya are affecting our businesses because Kenyans are big trade partners, especially buying our corn," one Tanzanian trader, who ...

Source: Dw