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Tanzanian President John Pombe Magufuli has left a section of Kenyans disappointed after he failed to attend the Blue Economy conference which kicked off on Monday morning.
The conference was opened by President Uhuru Kenyatta and graced by several heads of state from the neighboring countries.
Among those present were Somalia’s President Mohamed Farmaajo, Seychelles’ Danny Faure, Uganda’s Yoweri Museveni, Mozambique’s Filipe Nyusi, among others.
The Tanzanian President was represented by Ali Mohamed Shein – President of Zanzibar Island.
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Mutahi Ngunyi
Political analyst Mutahi Ngunyi is one of the Kenyans who took issue with President Magufuli skipping such an important conference given the fact that Tanzania has one of the largest marine economies in the region.
“WAPI Pombe ? Is Tanzania NOT the LARGEST Blue Economy in Eastern Africa? Why is HE ABSENT from this CONFERENCE? We NEED to SMOKE this man out of his Magufuli HOLE! ,” Ngunyi wrote.
Other Kenyans followed suit, some speculating that the frosty diplomatic relations between Tanzania and Kenya may explain Magufuli’s decision to skip the conference that is jointly hosted by Kenya, Japan, and Canada.
“Unfortunately, he thinks TZ is self-sufficient and doesn’t need the neighbors. Wrong approach Bwana President . You Need Kenya more than we need you,” David Ng’ang’a said.
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KICC
“Magufuli is not attending the blue economy conference?” Ahmed Mohamed wondered.
“Magufuli just hates Kenyans it's that simple He cannot withstand them or even their odour,” Obaman stated.
The week-long conference is being held at the KICC and has brought together 17,600 participants, with 183 countries sending delegations.
The organizers are seeking to promote use of seas, oceans and lakes and their resources for sustainable economic development.