From Konyagi to onions: How Tanzania unrest puts Sh4.3b Kenya imports at risk

If your favourite recreational drink is Konyagi, you may encounter a shortage at your favourite spot as Kenya battles with trade disruption due to political unrest in Tanzania.

Konyagi, a popular spirit in the Kenyan market, is one of the products the country imports from Tanzania.

The Tanzania Trade Development Authority (Tantrade), also lists baked goods such as biscuits and bread, mosquito nets, maize, sugarcane, ginger, turmeric, thyme, bay leaves among other spices as exports to Kenya.

On the other hand, Kenya exports pharmaceutical products, soap, sugar and sugar confectionary, mineral waxes, animal and vegetable oils, honey, dairy products and mechanical appliances.

Tantrade estimates that Tanzania’s imports to Kenya, according to 2022 figures, average Sh4.3 billion a month while the country’s exports to Kenya is approximated at Sh2.7 billion.

“Tanzania exports average of Sh2.7 billion (USD 21.11 million) per month and the main exports are oilcake, sugarcane, maize, ginger, saffron, turmeric (curcuma), thyme, bay leaves, curry: Other spices, black tea, mosquito net, fertilizer, distilled spirits (Konyagi), maize (corn), bread, pastry, cakes, biscuits and other bakers' wares,” says Tantrade.

Political unrest associated with Tanzania’s general election has disrupted cross-border trade between the two countries even as incumbent President Samia Suluhu was sworn in on Monday.

The restriction of movement at the Namanga border, in Kajiado County, the main entry artery between Kenya and Tanzania, has worsened cross-border trade between the two countries.

It is through this border point that most of the foods a majority of Nairobi residents eat is served.  

Compared to Kenya whose arable land is estimated at 11.42 per cent according to World Bank 2023 data, Tanzania stands at 15.2 per cent.

Maina Nyaga, chair Wakulima Market speaks of a possible shortage of fresh foods if the unrest is to continue for even a week.

“We depend heavily on Tanzania for foods such as onions, ginger and oranges,” he says.

Data from the Kenya National Bureau of Standards (KNBS) shows while Kenya exported Sh15.5 billion worth of goods between April and June to Tanzania, Tanzania exported Sh13.5 billion to Kenya in the same period.

The Sh13.5 billion is a growth from Sh11.7 billion recorded between January and March.

The KNBS report on balance of payments notes that during the second quarter in discussion, imports from the continent expended to Sh73.4 billion, an increase of 18.9 per cent from the second quarter of 2024.

“The growth was partly slowed due to decreased imports of chemical fertilisers and rice from Tanzania,” reads the September report.

From the 2025 Economic Survey report by KNBS, the value of imports from Tanzania stood at Sh58.7 billion in 2024, an increase from Sh43.7 billion in 2023. In the same period, the value of exports to Tanzania stood at Sh67.2 billion, a drop from Sh69.3 billion in 2023.

“Exports to Tanzania dropped from Sh69.3 billion in 2023 to Sh67.2 billion, partly resulting from decreased domestic exports of medicaments and soap in 2024,” the report says.

It adds: “Conversely, there was a notable increase in imports from Tanzania, which moderated the overall decline. The growth was largely occasioned by increased imports of rice, coal, chemical fertilisers, mosquito nets, flat glass, and oilseeds from this source.”

But as Kenya depends on Tanzania, so does Tanzania especially on food stuffs.

Such disruption adds to the 15 per cent stagnated intra-EAC trade despite the region being a 305 million population market. According to the East African Community (EAC), intra-EAC trade reached Sh1.6 trillion in 2023.

According to the EAC Trade and Investment Report 2024, Kenya’s total imports from EAC Partner States increased by 14.4 per cent to Sh97.1 billion (USD 0.747 billion) in 2024 from Sh84.9 billion (USD 0.653 billion) in 2023.

“In EAC, Tanzania was the main source of imports for Kenya, and in 2024 Kenya’s imports from Tanzania amounted to Sh56.6 billion (USD 0.435 billion) compared to Sh39.8 billion (USD 0.3061 billion) in 2023,” says EAC in the report.

Considering how symbiotic countries in the EAC are, the unrest is said to be affecting access of food in Tanzania.

UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, in an update on the post-election unrest warned of shortage of foodstuff in Tanzania.

“There are shortages of food, fuel and cash which have been compounded by the lack of internet services. There is also uncertainty around international transport options,” the update says.

The UK office notes of widespread road blockades and closures nationwide. Additionally, there is cancellation of international flights to and from Nyerere International Airport, Dar-es-Salaam.

“There are also no ferries running from Dar-es-Salaam to Zanzibar. The SGR rail service is also not running,” the update adds.

Findings by an electoral mission by the Southern African Development Community (SADC), an economic bloc that Tanzania belongs to away from the East African Community (EAC) detail how the elections were not free and fair.

A statement from the SADC Electoral Observation Mission (SEOM) concluded that in most areas, voters could not express their democratic will.

“Overall, the 2025 General Election in the United Republic of Tanzania fell short of the requirements of SADC principles and guidelines governing democratic elections,” says Richard Msowoya, Head of the SADC Electoral Observation Mission.