Namanga straddles the Kenya-Tanzania border and is mostly occupied by the Maasai whose settlements surround this twin town.
The Tanzania portion is in Monduli, one of Arusha's districts nearly
110 kilometres. The other is in Kajiado, a district in Kenya's Rift
Valley Province about 160 kms from Nairobi.
A visit to the two Namangas clearly exposes a difference between the
two. The atmosphere, the people, the food, the tea, the language, and
the signposts are different.
Driving from Arusha, one is immediately caught up in the stunning
scenery. Acres of well farmed land add to the attractive view. The most
amazing sight is provided by Mount Meru and Mount Kilimanjaro in a clear
horizon.
The drive seems short considering the encounters with grazing
ostriches amidst the rich flora and fauna. The safari is considered a
'tourism hot spot' because of the sight of migrating animals to and from
the nearby Arusha National Park.
As you get closer, Namanga rises out of the ground like a village
suspended in mid-air air over a hill. Most shops at the twin towns have
stood the test of time, somewhat run-down though.
Bureau de Change and clearing and forwarding agents dominate all
corners of the twin town. Supermarkets have recently taken over in some
areas attracting customers throughout the day.
Near the Kenyan Immigration and Customs office a few shops are always busy selling groceries, toiletries and changing money.
In Kenya, you find a culture which is westernized than their
Tanzanian counterpart and exhibits fierce competition as a way of life.
A bunch of people, both young and old came my way me, alluring me to
change money, or buy Khat (a plant stimulant ) and curios. This is
behaviour I hadn't encountered in Tanzania. I tried to ignore them, but
they were exceedingly persistent. I was left wondering why the
relaxation or restrain on one side made way for such intrusiveness and
forcefulness on the other.
Sightings of trucks awaiting cargo clearance on a small section of
rough road, through the barren landscape of the buffer zone
(no-mans-land), from both sides are visibly seen in the towns. A crowd
of hawkers and Maasai business people (mostly women) patronizes the
border area.
Analysts confirm that over 30% of tourists who enter Tanzania every
year do so through the Namanga border, making it an important hub
connecting both Tanzania and Kenya.
Indeed, the Namanga's economy is very dependent on tourists (both
international and regional), business people and other travellers.
Tanzania receives over one million international tourists yearly since
2012.
Apart from the cross-border business, which is thriving almost daily,
the two Namangas have added new buildings for the Immigration Offices,
Customs and Revenue Offices. To make it a One Stop Border Post (OSBP), a
concept adopted by the East African Community Partner States. The aim
is to shorten transit time for people and trade by slashing bureaucracy
and duplication of effort.
In one of the shops I saw a stately man of Somali origin selling
Khat, a leading business at the border. I was told, although it is
banned in Tanzania, in Kenya it is legal. What a contrast?
As I waited my return trip to Arusha, I wondered how places and people can change in a fraction of minutes and metres.
The half-day spent at the Namangas; breathing the atmosphere of a
place I would describe it as a cultural crossroad which was truly
breathtaking.
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