Tanzania President Samia Suluhu on Wednesday addressed a joint sitting of the Senate and the National Assembly as she rooted for better relations between her country and Kenya at the conclusion of her two-day state visit. 

National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi and his Senate counterpart Kenneth Lusaka received Suluhu at the House Chambers in Nairobi at 2:30pm.


Samia Suluhu arriving at Parliament Buildings. PHOTO/COURTESY 

In her address, President Suluhu said the relations between Kenya and Tanzania are held by 3 great ties namely; blood relations by communities living in both countries that cannot be defined by borderlines; shared history and geography.

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She also told the joint sitting of MPs that her intention for coming to Kenya was to find a way for Tanzanian citizens can come and thrive in Kenya and vice versa.

The Tanzanian Head of State challenged leaders in the two East African countries to become the bridge between the citizens of the two neighbouring countries instead of being obstacles by creating laws and restrictions that drag them behind.


Justin Muturi, Samia Suluhu and Kenneth Lusaka. PHOTO/PSCU

She confirmed that she agreed with her host President Uhuru Kenyatta to put effective strategies in place to reduce issues that inhibit the flow of business across the Kenyan and Tanzanian borders.


Joint Parliament sittings. PHOTO/PSCU

Suluhu also expressed Tanzania’s joy when Kenya adopted Swahili as a language in Parliament and disclosed that it was a reason for her to follow the proceedings of the August House.

The new Tanzanian president poked fun at Kenyans saying the Swahili dialect spoken in Kenya was entertaining and, on a lighter note, she laughed at Senate Speaker Lusaka for the difficulty he had in pronouncing numerals as he welcomed her to address the House.

Suluhu and Uhuru. PHOTO/COURTESY

Her address to the joint sitting of MPs and Senators presented her diplomatic and political position to the Kenyan government as she sought to restore warm relations between the two countries that were destroyed by late Tanzania President Pombe Magufuli.

Uhuru bidding Suluhu farewell. PHOTO/PSCU

She finished her speech by saying she was leaving Kenya with wonderful memories of the visit and was forward-looking to the next visit while inviting Kenyatta to Dar es Salaam to better the bilateral ties.