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...Business in Arusha stands still as roads closed
2008-02-19 10:20:37
By Adam Ihucha, Arusha
Business in Arusha ground to a virtual standstill yesterday as US President George Bush entered the city on the third day of his historic four-day state visit to Tanzania.
The visiting President and his entourage jetted in from Dar es Salaam, where the first leg of their high-profile tour began on Saturday evening.
With the only major road linking the city to the outside world closed for hours to facilitate the tour, local motorists parked their vehicles, seriously disrupting transport schedules.
Most workers and other local residents were unable to make it to the city centre following the absence of commuter buses and taxis and other means of transport from as early as 7am. As a result, shops remained closed and most other business premises deserted.
According to an earlier police alert, the relevant stretch of the busy Moshi-Arusha road would be closed to the public from 8am to 5pm.
A similar situation was witnessed here in August 2000 when President Bush’s predecessor, Bill Clinton, attended the Burundi peace accord signing ceremony.
People lined the road stretch all the way from the Philips factory to the Mianzini suburb as well as the Namanga road portion from the Col. Middleton junction to Sakina/TCA.
Hundreds of others had camped at Kambi ya Fisi, along the Ngarenaro Villa corner stretch of the road to Nairobi and at Mbauda/Majengo along the road to Dodoma.
The Dodoma Road section from the so-called Nairobi Corner and all the way to Makuyuni at the border between Arusha and Manyara regions was a no-go zone.
Many Arusha residents had hoped that President Bush would greet them by shaking their hands just as had happened in Dar es Salaam but that was not to be, as his motorcade simply sped past them.
Meanwhile, there was a sudden scarcity of fresh milk in the city since most hawkers normally bringing the milk from the Arumeru hills by bicycle were barred from entering the central business district.
Also, with the 45-kilometer road stretch from the Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA) to Arusha closed, newspapers could not reach here on time. It was not until about 2pm that they were delivered,which means that they were ready for sale at least two hours later.
An agent of Kilimanjaro Express Bus services, Victoria Obeid, said the Bush visit to Arusha forced them to cancel a scheduled trip to Dar es Salaam.
Normally, some 40 commuter buses ply the Dar es Salaam-Arusha route on a daily basis.
The services of the 300-plus minibuses that routinely ferry passengers between Arusha and Moshi everyday were similarly disrupted yesterday.
The security measures did not spare tour operators, who had no option but to observe the travel restrictions.
Only scheduled airlines were allowed to land at KIA between 10am and 6pm, according to an e-mail message from Tanzania Tour Operators Association Executive Secretary Mustafa Akuunay copied to all tour operators.
Within a radius of 60km from the smaller Arusha Airport, some 8km west of this city, no flight training, aerobatics, hand gliding, hot air balloon parachuting exercises were allowed.
The road from KIA via Mianzini, Nairobi Road corner and down to the Tanzania National Parks Authority head offices, Arusha Airport, and A to Z Textile Mills at Kisongo was also closed between 8am and 3pm.
President Bush and his entourage landed at KIA with the majestic Mount Kilimanjaro fully visible. They were welcomed by Maasai women dancers in purple robes, white discs hanging around their necks. The VIP guests admired the show from a short distance, some nodding in appreciation but not actually joining in the dance.
President Bush and First Lady Laura Bush began the day by touring a hospital, before visiting A to Z Textile Mills that makes treated mosquito nets recommended by the World Health Organisation.
The Arusha net factory, the only one in Africa passed by WHO for the purpose, is a 50/50 joint venture between the Tokyo-based multinational Sumitomo Chemical and Arusha’s A to Z Textile Mills.
The venture is an expansion of a business relationship that took off with royalty-free technology transfer in 2003. The new facilities can make up to 10 million treated mosquito nets a year, much in excess of Tanzania’s needs.
The venture is reported to have created more than 3,200 jobs supporting at least 20,000 people.
``We are delighted to celebrate with you all, this significant milestone. Our collaboration has grown to a full-fledged joint venture,`` said Sumitomo Chemical President Hiromasa Yonekura at the factory’s official inauguration yesterday attended by President Bush.
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