Writes Leo Odera Omolo
REPORTS EMERGING from the Northern Tanzanian town of Arusha say that tourism stakeholders in both Kenya and Tanzania wants the border between the two countries two world famous tourists attraction sites be opened in line with the principles and spirits of the East African Community.
The two world famous tourist sites are the Maasai Mara in Kenya and the Serengeti National game Park in Tanzania.
According to the latest newsletter of the East African Tourism Platform {EATP}, the opening of the Bukologonja border which was closed by Tanzania unilaterally following the collapse of the first East African Community in 1977, would save tourists the five hour drive through the nearest border crossing point and encourage regional tourism.
The border at the Sand River is on the route used by wild bests during their spectacular annual migration that attracts thousands of tourists to both countries. Besides its closure, it was a convenient route for tourist visiting the Serengeti National Game Park-Maasai Mara ecosystem.
Following the collapse of the first EAC in 1977, Tanzania closed all border crossing points with Kenya for nearly seven years.
In the mid 1980, it reopened the main highway border points, but left the Bukologonja one closed.
According to EATP coordinator Wafart Matu, visitor to the Maasai Mara wishing to cross into Serengeti sometimes have to drive to Nairobi for an overnight stopover before proceeding to Arusha via Namanga border post and on to Serengeti.
Some tour operator firms based in the Kenya capital Nairobi have complained of extra distance owing to the closed border ,increased the cost of the Serengeti-Maasai Mara package.
Tanzania National Parks spokesman Pascal Sheleti, was widely quoted last week as having said hat Tanzania would not open the border because the differences between the two countries tourism polices.
“Kenya encourages mass tourism while Tanzania prefers quality tourism for a low volume of tourists, but with higher revenue so we feel that once we open Bukologonja border posts, tourist traffic from Kenya can be extremely high at the expense of the fragile Serengeti ecology.”
On his part Mr. Adrian Akiyo an official of the Natural Resources and Tourism Ministry in Tanzania said his Ministry would not bow to any pressure on the matter.” At the Bukulugonja border notwithstanding the East African Community Common Market Protocol that provides for the free movement of goods, persons, labor, services and capital within the EAC region.
“The EAC arrangement is not everything, Tanzania like other partners states is still a sovereign country. We are only obliged to implement those policies we agree with and not everything. Our orders must be respected,” he said.
In addition to the closed border, the stakeholders have also complained about the requirement for tourists to change vehicles at the border of Namanga, Sirari and Taveta, which they said was not only humiliating for the visitor but veiled bid by Tanzania to keep business competition away from its border crossings.
The stakeholders have called upon the two countries to resolve their differences bilaterally
Ends