The Treasury is expected to offer Namanga herders Sh53 million
as part of the compensation for the confiscation and auction 1,400
cattle by Tanzania authorities in a sale that sparked diplomatic tension
with Dar es Salaam.
Kajiado South MP Katoo ole Metito disclosed the payout at Oloitokitok during the Jamhuri Day celebrations on Tuesday.
The
1,400 cattle auctioned in Tanzania after trespassing into the country
came from Kajiado South followed by a tough talk by President John Pombe
Magufuli.
“We are thanking Jubilee for this gesture. It is a relief to our people,” said the lawmaker.
Reacting
to the controversy generated by the decision of a Tanzanian court to
auction the cows belonging to Kenyan Maasais, Mr Magufuli said his
government would not hesitate to take the same action, should Kenyan
cows be found grazing in Tanzania. The cows had been confiscated for
grazing across the border.
The Tanzanian President said his country followed the law by impounding and auctioning the cows.
Kenya argued that restricting the movement of herders across the
border would be a near-impossible because the communities living along
the border were related and as such both Kenya and Tanzania needed to
develop a mutual understanding to avoid further conflicts.
“Herders
should not be punished for an omission that is not in their making. We
hope Tanzania will allow our brothers and sisters on the border to
continue visiting each other,” Foreign Affairs secretary Amina Mohamed
said earlier.
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