Uhuru, Magufuli agree to tackle insecurity, explore natural gas

Presidents Uhuru Kenyatta and John Magufuli (Tanzania) on Saturday vowed to deal firmly with insecurity, saying they will not spare anyone involved in cross-border crimes.

The two leaders said citizens will be subject to the laws of the country where they commit the crime.

"If a person (Tanzanian) commits a crime in Kenya, he or she will be subjected to Kenyan law. And if a Kenyan commits a crime in Tanzania, he or she will be dealt with in accordance with our laws," President Magufuli said.

"We want to instil discipline so that our people can do business freely. We've been elected by the people for the purpose of helping them develop their economies."

TERRORISM

President Kenyatta said they will do everything possible to insulate peace-loving East Africans going about their business from the actions of "a few misguided people", especially those engaged in terror activities.

"We want to ensure peace. We know a majority of our people are good. They want to do business, travel and farm. But we are also practical; we know there are bad people amongst us. We will deal with those ones firmly," the Kenyan leader said.

He added: "We won't spare and won't have time for terrorists who think they can continue playing with the lives of our people."

NATURAL GAS

The heads of State spoke on the last day of President Kenyatta's two-day private visit to Tanzania.

They further agreed to establish a natural gas trade arrangement between the neighbouring countries.

The Presidents tasked ministers responsible for energy with exploring mechanisms for the natural gas trade and looking into infrastructure and policy requirements.

Tanzania holds 57 trillion cubic feet of natural gas reserves, a resource the country has been utilising largely for electric power generation.

However, plans are underway to start exports to international markets.

President Magufuli said his country sees Kenya as a potential market for its natural gas, so the two governments should speed up the trade arrangement.

"We have natural gas, a lot of gas. We know Kenya needs gas. Instead of Kenya importing gas from outside East Africa, they should buy from here," he said.

FERRY SERVICES

The two leaders further resolved to revamp Lake Victoria ferry services.

They noted that regular maritime travel from Kisumu, Mwanza, Bukoba and other ports, on Africa's largest lake, will help create employment, enhance connectivity and spur related economic activities.

During his visit, President Kenyatta visited the ailing Suzana Magufuli, Mr Magufuli's mother, at her home and prayed for her quick recovery.