Energy CS Charles Keter and his Ugandan counterpart, representatives of Tullow Oil, Total and Cnoc of china were on a fact finding mission on the best route to construct the pipeline. They toured Lamu and Tanga port.Photo Courtesy
Kenya yesterday lodged a diplomatic protest to Tanzania after Energy Cabinet Secretary Charles Keter was denied entry to the Port of Tanga on Wednesday.
Sources within the Presidency said the government had instructed Kenya’s High Commission in Tanzania to get an explanation of the incident.
“As per the East Africa treaty, Tanzania has to make this explanation and it is not something that we have to request,” the source said.
Separately, State House spokesman Manoah Esipisu said the Foreign Affair ministry is handling the matter, which had come as a surprise.
Keter and the Kenyan delegation had joined their Uganda counterparts on the trip to Tanga after leaving Lamu on a fact-finding mission.
However, the Kenyans were denied entry to Tanzania and their passports seized for about an hour.
However, their Ugandan counterparts were allowed to proceed.
The mission was as a result of Monday’s meeting between President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Uganda counterpart Yoweri Museveni over the proposed crude oil pipeline from Uganda.
The discussions were deferred to the technical teams of the two countries after Uhuru and Museveni failed to agree.
The delegation was to find the most viable port of entry for the proposed pipeline after it emerged Uganda had signed an agreement with Tanzania over the same.
Officials from the two countries are supposed to meet on Tuesday to prepare their report, which they will present to Uhuru and Museveni in two weeks.
Kenya and Uganda had a deal on the construction of the pipeline, but Uganda has now said it is “seeking the most cost-effective route.”
Museveni on Monday told Uhuru the deal with Kenya is not off, but Uganda wants to get the cheapest viable option.
