Mathias Robi, a member of parliament for Kuria West, has urged the Kenya police and their counterparts in Tanzania to release the motorcycles that they have detained.
Addressing his constituents on Saturday, the Lawmaker explained the predicament of hundreds of boda boda operators who make a living through the use of motorcycles. Robi said if there is no evidence of criminal wrongdoing, the police should return the motorcycles to their owners so that they can resume their work. Furthermore, he suggested that the two governments should ease the laws that restrict cross-border trade between citizens who live along the border.
As per the current laws of the East African Community, people living near the border are allowed to travel up to 15 kilometres into foreign territory for the purpose of enhancing cultural and family relations, trade, and unrestricted movement within the border villages. Robi argues that Tanzanians should be allowed to get goods from Migori while Kenyans should be given the leeway to purchase cheaper products from Tanzania.
“On Friday, I was in Musoma (a Tanzanian town) and I met the head of police in Tanzania and I told her to take care of individuals even in Isebania. OCPD (Kenyan), all the motorbikes here belonging to Tanzanians that have no ongoing case should be returned,” stated the MP.
When it comes to the prices of basic necessities like food and clothing, Kenya tends to charge more than Tanzania and Uganda. However, in terms of communication costs like mobile phones and airtime, Kenya is generally more affordable than the other two countries. One key difference between them is their safety levels. Compared to Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda are considered to be relatively safer as Kenya has faced numerous recent attacks from the extremist group al-Shabaab. Despite this, the governments of Kenya and Tanzania maintain a positive relationship.
