The East African Community (EAC) Secretariat has issued a firm rebuke to Tanzania following its controversial directive barring non-citizens including Kenyans from participating in 15 vital business sectors, warning that the move violates core regional integration principles.
Highlights:
- Tanzania has restricted non-citizens from operating in 15 business sectors
- EAC says the directive undermines free movement of labor and services
- Kenyans and other EAC citizens now locked out of key business opportunities
- EAC urges Tanzania to align with agreed regional trade protocols
Main Story:
The East African Community Secretariat has strongly criticized Tanzania for issuing a new directive that blocks foreign nationals, including citizens from fellow EAC member states, from engaging in various small and medium-sized business activities. The EAC says this move undermines the spirit of regional integration, a pillar that guarantees free movement of labor, services, and capital across borders.
The directive affects 15 business sectors including retail trade, food vending, hairdressing, and repair services which have long been common entry points for traders and service providers from neighboring countries like Kenya and Uganda.
The ban has caused concern among Kenyan entrepreneurs operating in Tanzania, many of whom now face the possibility of being pushed out of their livelihoods. Kenyan traders and workers in affected industries have expressed frustration, saying the policy threatens not only their income but the broader promise of economic unity within East Africa.
This development could also affect bilateral trade dynamics between Kenya and Tanzania, which have seen both collaboration and occasional tension in the past.
The EAC Secretariat is now urging Tanzania to revisit the decision and respect the commitments made under the EAC Common Market Protocol. Officials warn that if left unaddressed, the directive could set a dangerous precedent and derail years of progress toward a truly integrated East African economic space.
Stakeholders across the region are watching closely, with many calling for urgent dialogue to prevent further fallout.
When walls go up in a region built on open borders, the real cost is shared by ordinary citizens chasing opportunity.
