Why Jakaya Kikwete’s Tanzania stands tall above Kenya and other peers

For the US which is keen to promote democracy and the rule of law in developing countries, Tanzania appears to be ticking the correct boxes. It changes its leadership regularly through free and fair elections by regional standards. It is one of the few countries in the world where religious tolerance exists well enough to permit the change of leadership alternately from Christian to Muslim presidents. “It is a model of what the west would like to see in an African country,” said Prof Nzomo.

However Prof Macharia Munene, a lecturer of history and international studies at the United States International University said that failure by the west to largely influence events in Kenya under President Kibaki forced them to search for another “pliable” partner in the region.

“Kibaki’s government antagonised the west openly. It pursued a look-east policy aggressively much to the dismay of the west. It did not give them the space that they were used to.   Tanzania became a much more easier country to  do business with,” he said.

Besides that is the fact that over President Kibaki’s 10 year reign, Kenya lost much of its regional diplomatic muscle. Laid back by nature, President Kibaki travelled only when necessary and nuances and intricacies of foreign policy did not seem his forte.

In the same period, Tanzania has had in President Kikwete, a  relatively young president and a consumate diplomat who seems keen to stealthily reposition  his country as the major economic and political player in the region.

China and Tanzania share a long history stretching back to the 15 th century when Chinese fishermen landed in the spice island of Zanzibar. But the Beijing’s renewed interest in Tanzania has to do with its hunger for resources to feed its growing economy.

The discovery of huge natural gas reverses off the coast of Tanzania has spiked interest in the country.  Exploration done by several international firms have comfirmed that Tanzania could hold up to 100 trillion cubic feet of natural gas of its Indian Ocean coast.  

But Tanzania’s mineral wealth is not limited to gas. The country has vast resources of gold, coal, cobalt, nickel, uranium, and iron. It is Africa’s fourth-largest producer of gold, which in recent months has hit near-record prices in international trading.

China needs all these minerals to sustain its growth. The port of Bagamoyo will grant it easy access to several landlocked but resource-rich countries in East, Southern and Central Africa, such as Malawi, the Congos, Burundi, Rwanda and Uganda.  To observers, the port of Bagamoyo has economic implications for Kenya. When completed, the port will drastically affect revenues at the port of Mombasa which has been servicing most of these countries. 

Some of these countries, in particular Rwanda, Burundi and Uganda,  have long complained about inefficiencies at the port of Mombasa, corruption and dispruptions brought about by political instabilities. The Bagamoyo project might just solve their problems.

However Prof Munene said that the discovery of oil in Turkana recently might yet tilt the balance of power in Kenya’s favour. It is worthy to note that China too vying to build the new port at Lamu and the attendant infrastructure all the way to Ethiopia and South Sudan.