Tanzanian President John Magufuli on Tuesday took a jibe at Kenyans, without mentioning them by name of course, for claiming to have everything good in the region.
President Magufuli aptly chose the occasion of opening East Africa’s longest bridge to remind neighbouring countries that Tanzania was finally waking from its slumber.
The 680 meter-long suspension bridge, the first of its kind in east and central Africa, connects Dar es Salaam’s business district to Kigamboni creek.
“This is the only bridge of its kind in East and Central Africa. Go to Uganda, Kenya, DRC, there’s no bridge like this one anywhere,” President Magufuli said.
“That is why those who think everything good is in their country have started writing….they said Mt Kilimanjaro is theirs, Olduvai Gorge and others,” he added amid chuckles from the crowd.
Construction of the bridge started in 2012 with funding from the Tanzanian government and the National Social Security Fund.
The bridge, measuring 32 meters in width, has six lanes, three in each direction. It also has two pedestrian and cyclist lanes with a width of 2.5 meters, one on each side.
President Magufuli declined an offer to name the bridge after himself, suggesting instead that it be named ‘Nyerere Bridge’ in recognition of the country’s founding leader Julius Nyerere.
His mocking remarks on Kenyans is part of the ongoing sibling rivalry between the East African neighbours.
Raila Odinga’s eldest daughter, Rosemary Odinga, was recently forced to apologise to Tanzanians for “grabbing their land” after they were irked by her “misleading information” at an international forum.
Ms Odinga had erroneously said the Olduvai Gorge, a famous archaeological site, is in Kenya.
She made the remarks at the 2015 program for International Young Leaders Assembly (IYLA).
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