Nairobi News

Trade Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria has announced that he has ‘organised’ an international friendly football match between Kenya and Tanzania on a yet to be confirmed date.

Mr Kuria made the announcement following a meeting with Tanzania President Samia Suluhu and other top government officials in Dodoma.

The Cabinet Secretary also said he used the meeting to strengthen trade ties between the two countries and deliver a special message from President William Ruto to his Tanzanian counterpart.

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“To mark a new page in our relations, I extended an invitation to Taifa Stars to a friendly match against Harambee Stars in Nairobi, which President Suluhu accepted,” Kuria tweeted.

However, it is worth noting that it is not the mandate of Cabinet Secretaries or government officials to organise such friendly matches, but rather the responsibility of the respective football federations of the countries involved.

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Also, the scope of Mr Kuria’s trade docket does not extend to sports which fall under Ababu Namwamba’s Ministry of Youth Affairs, Sports and the Arts.

Nevertheless, Kenya’s Harambee Stars and Tanzania’s Taifa Stars have sustained a rich football rivalry down the years. Kenya famously beat Tanzania 3-2 at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations held in Egypt with Michael Olunga scoring a double.

Tanzania returned the favour and beat Kenya on post-match penalties in Nairobi to qualify for the 2020 Africa Nations Championship.

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