The gloating by our Tanzanian neighbors over US President Barack Obama’s is unfortunate since the celebration seems to be about Kenya being snubbed by its “own” instead of being about what it means for Tanzania.
In an article mocking Kenyans published Tuesday by the Citizen of Tanzania, Mobhare Matinyi misrepresents the Kenyan psych, trivializes the trip and attempts to downplay the fact that Kenya remains the most important and strategic partner in the region. Matinyi’s article titled ‘Calm down Kenyans, Tanzania is flying’ epitomizes the disdain and fear Tanzanians in the Diaspora and at home have for Kenyans. The article reiterates cheap stereotypes and hardly touches on why Obama chose Tanzania over Kenya.
Capitalizing on Kenya’s bane of tribalism, Matinyi fails to appreciate the fact that Tanzania has its own brand of tribalism. Regionalism and religious differences continue to dodge the country. The divide is so deep that the said “unity” is all but a sham.
Obama gave very flimsy reasons for skipping Kenya. He inadvertently got himself dragged into Kenya’s tribal politics. Clearly, the choice of Tanzania had nothing to do with that country having the most conducive business, political, economic, democratic or strategic environment for America’s new found interest in investing in Africa. Tanzania lacks all of the above but because it was not “optimal” to visit Kenya at this time. Museveni led the anti-ICC crusade thus leaving Tanzania with no competition for the East African slot in Obama’s itinerary. Tanzania was clearly an afterthought following the results of Kenya’s elections. That a sitting and former US President were in Tanzania at the same time proves the challenges involved. This is highly unusual of American protocol and the fact that President Obama was forced to defend his own commitment to funding PEPFAR compared to Bush was a little awkward.
President Obama must be lauded for having the courage to challenge China’s trade imbalance with Africa. The bold move by the US invokes memories of the 1885 scramble for Africa when Europeans sat in Brussels and subdivided the continent amongst themselves. This time around though the players are different. “Trade partnership”, not colonialism is the name of the game. The common denominator remains the same; African resources. Unlike 128 years ago, Africans now have an opportunity to dictate the terms of engagement with China, Brazil, India and now America. America is determined not to completely cede Africa to the Chinese and for the first time there is hope that Africa may benefit from its bounty.
While Tanzania savors its fifteen minutes of fame, American strategists must be wondering whether sidelining Kenya was not a boneheaded move. Forget the ICC, the new push is about growing American business interests. Does Tanzania really have the capacity to play America’s blue-eyed boy in the region? Highly doubtful! The paradox is that America hopes to amalgamate the EAC trading block through the one member who has been a stumbling block to the integration of the EAC.
Over the years Tanzania’s fear of Kenya has led to misinformed “protectionism.” It tried to frustrate integration of the common but Kenya and Uganda outwitted Tanzania by bringing in Burundi and Rwanda and in the process rendered Tanzania’s protestation inconsequential. Tanzania had held EAC at ransom with uncooperative demands while maintaining membership in SADC. While trying to improve the small port of Dar es salaam is good, the fact remains that Mombasa port is bigger and Lamu is poised to be even bigger and more modern. Thus the question; does the US really believe that America can penetrate the EAC’s market through a weak Tanzania”?
America’s interests in East and Horn of Africa go beyond “trade” and PEPFAR. From the 2005 Naivasha accord that ended the fighting in Sudan, hosting the Somalia government in Nairobi and hundreds of thousands of refugees from Rwanda, Sudan and Somali at the Kakuma and Dadaab refugee camps to finally flushing Al-Shabab out of Kismayu, Kenya has been central in safeguarding regional and American interests in the area. Ethiopia, Rwanda and Uganda all contributed soldiers to AMISOM while Tanzania sat on the fence and waited for others to sow the seed only for them to come back and harvest. Tanzania has done nothing to fight terror and piracy in the Indian Ocean yet America seems to be embracing it as the regional shining light. Is this about geopolitical considerations or a skewed effort to validate Johnnie Carson’s “choices have consequences” quip?
Finally, Tanzanians need to remember that unless they take full advantage of Obama’s goodwill, Kenya will happily jump in. Focusing on discussing Kenya with the Americans or anyone else does not help Tanzania in its efforts to move out of Kenya’s shadow.
Kaberia is The Star newspaper’s Correspondent in Washington, DC. He comments on African politics.
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