Kikwete blamed unfairly, media scared immigrants in Kagera

President Kakaya Kikwete visited Kagera. And after concluding his visit, he addressed the regional leaders at Bukoba, where he talked about the issue of illegal immigrants, actually it was last in his speech. The media picked it up and sensationalized it, sending panic waves across the country. Local leaders took advantage, pouncing on known immigrants as they sought to eat their cows. Rwanda has reacted angrily.

As Kikwete is viewed in Rwanda as xenophobic,, actually, Kagera Regional Commissioner Col. Fabian Massawe has been going around villages, telling local leaders not to eat immigrants’ cows, saying anyone violated should report to him. He said illegal immigrants should leave in compliance of Kikwete’s directives, but they should do so in orderly  and humane way. But what did Kikwete say? I have tried to transcribe his speech. This is an extract:

This thing about robberies, I talked about it when I was in Bihalamulo, it concerns three regions, Kagera, Kigoma and Geita. Tanzanians have to go around without requiring police escort, I have instructed security organs and they are preparing to face them. But if you know you are a thug, you know you are armed, surrender your gun. If the thugs came from the neghbouring countries, they should leave, because we don’t want any words with neighbours, who can say we are mistreating its citizens.. . The genesis of poor security in this region is to do with the arrival of refugees, those who came in 1965 and 1959 were a different sample, but those who came from 1993 onward they came with their guys, and when they left, they left their guns behind…. They poached our animals to extinction…..,

About livestock, there are many livestock than the capacity of this place to accommodate, and some came from neighbouring countries, they graze in reserved areas, first reserves should remain as reserve for wild animals, I said that a game reserve not a ranch,

Another thing is about those who migrate to Tanzania without following procedures, people cannot question intention of Tanzania, those who wanted to be citizens were allowed, in 1982 Nyerere gave them opportunity, only 30,000 came forward, the rest refused, and my government we gave a chance to 160,000 Burundians, and anybody else out of that should be regarded as having refused to be a Tanzanians citizen, whoever refused he should leave, whoever refused to be Tanzanians should leave, we will help them leave. Others are immigrating here, to come and graze. Even if there is good pasteur in Tanzania, this is another country, you cannot come and graze, when there is grass in your country you go back. Every alien wanting to live in TZ should apply to do so, everyone is allowed execept criminals are not allowed. If the procedures are followed, no problem. It is not acceptable for people to come, live, farm and every time they want to leave, they leave. There are some people who live in this country with permits issued by village leaders, why do you allow it happen, you, immigration officers. You have allowed this to happen for long, people believe they can come, give two cows to village leaders and they are given permits. Immigration officers should do their job, if a village leader is arrested taken to court and jailed for doing immigration job, it will be a lesson. There is a guy called katongole, he is at Mtukula acting like an agent, as conduit for corruption for immigrants who come in here. Everywhere I have been, when I ask people about their problems they say the major problem is illegal immigrants, wherever I stopped, everywhere, the common problem is illegal immigrants.

Those who will be found with illegal papers, give them options, to be prosecuted or go home. You are creating problem for this country in the next 50 years, 60 or 100 years, the demography of border regions will change, after that period people will claim this is their home, the pace of people immigrating here is high, they are coming here because they know your price, you have been bought at low price. Now during the exercise (two week exercise), go house by house, ask them how they came, then ask them to leave. These are humans not livestock, they should not be driven like livestock, my brothers take caution now, because this area can change, Rweikizas (Haya peope) you will not find a place to live, you could be told that you are aliens. We are not barring people from entering Tanzania, we have a record, Nyerere allowed 30,000, and I allowed 160,000. I say that they should not turn Tanzania into grandmother’s garden, people come in go out without following any procedure, they do it as they want. Don’t do any harm to them, don’t confiscate their properties, ask them to sell their properties and then tell them good journey. Those who want to protect their properties, they should live in the country legally.