Tanzania Responds to Ruto’s Remarks on East African Road Infrastructure
The government of Tanzania has responded strongly to recent comments made by Kenya’s President William Ruto, who compared Kenya’s road network with that of its East African neighbours and suggested that Kenya is far ahead in terms of tarmacked roads.
President Ruto made the remarks during a church service on April 19, where he defended the high fuel prices in Kenya.
He explained that Kenya, being a lower middle-income country, spends more on maintaining its infrastructure compared to some neighbouring nations. According to him, this responsibility partly explains the higher cost of fuel in the country.
Ruto stated that Kenya has about 20,000 kilometres of tarmacked roads. He further claimed that if you combine the road networks of Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, the total would still be less than Kenya’s alone.
He insisted that comparisons should only be made between countries at similar economic levels, saying Kenya should be compared with other middle-income economies.
He said:
“Kenya is a middle-income country. Our neighbours are least developed countries. If you want to compare Kenya with others, compare Kenya with other middle-income countries.”
He further added that:
“Even if you add up the kilometres in Uganda, Tanzania, DRC, Rwanda, Burundi, and South Sudan, it does not reach 20,000 kilometres. Kenya alone has more tarmac roads than all these countries combined.”
However, these remarks quickly sparked disagreement from Tanzania’s government, led by President Samia Suluhu Hassan. Just a day later, on April 21, Tanzanian officials issued a firm response rejecting the claims.
A Tanzanian minister stated that the figures shared by Ruto were inaccurate and misleading.
He clarified that Tanzania alone has about 16,000 kilometres of tarmacked roads spread across both urban and rural areas. According to him, this is only about 4,000 kilometres less than Kenya’s reported figure.
He also explained that when the road networks of East African countries are combined, the total exceeds 22,000 kilometres, which is higher than the 20,000 kilometres mentioned by the Kenyan president.
The minister said:
“It should be understood that Tanzania is a lower-middle-income country. Tanzania alone has around 16,000 kilometres of tarmac roads in both urban and rural areas.”
He added that claims suggesting other East African countries are far behind are not correct, stressing that the data being circulated was misleading.
This exchange has now triggered wider discussion across the region, with debates emerging about infrastructure development, economic status, and how East African countries compare in terms of growth.
It has also added to ongoing conversations about the cost of fuel and the economic pressures facing citizens in the region amid global fuel price challenges.
Join TUKO KADI Official WhatsApp Channel to stay updated on time
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaWT5gSGufImU8R0DO30
