US Vice President Kamala Harris is set to arrive in Tanzania soon for a three-day official visit, the second stop on her three-nation African tour.
She will first meet with Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan before visiting the Tanzania Start-up Association (TAS) to speak with aspiring entrepreneurs.
Tanzanians, particularly those in the business community, have high hopes that her visit will improve bilateral relations across the board.
The United States and Tanzania have a $424 million (£344 million) annual trade relationship, with the United States investing $1 billion in Tanzania.
Ms. Harris is President Joe Biden’s first high-ranking official to visit the East African country.
Tanzania and the United States have long had diplomatic ties, though they became strained during the tenure of Mrs. Samia’s predecessor, John Magufuli.
The United States has always been committed to strengthening democracy and working to improve the health of women and children, HIV/AIDS, nutrition, and food security.
Mr. Magufuli, who died in office two years ago, was not afraid to express his disdain for multiparty politics.
He was also notorious for sabotaging an attempt to overturn the requirement that pregnant schoolgirls be expelled.
Mrs. Samia has worked to improve relations and recently visited the United States, where she met Ms. Harris in Washington, DC.
Ms. Harris’ visit also coincides with a growing debate in East Africa about LGBT issues, which she is likely to address. Uganda’s parliament passed a law last week to crack down on homosexual activities, prompting widespread condemnation.
