Kenya and Tanzania are increasing cooperation on key matters of security.
At the top of the list is defence coordination and intelligence sharing.
Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete and Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta recently signed the agreement to boost combined security security operations between the two East African countries, according to a report in The East African newspaper.
Tanzania President (2nd from left) toasts with Kenya President Uhuru Kenyatta (2nd from right)
The new arrangement includes a prisoner exchange deal, formal meetings between security staff in each country to share experiences on tackling threats like violent extremism, as well as improved intelligence sharing.
The new arrangement will also see Tanzania take a more active role in regional security operations.
Whilst Tanzania has been military active in the Central African region, namely in DR Congo where Tanzanian troops helped defeat the M23 rebel group in 2013, it is Kenyan, Ugandan and Burundian forces that are leading the fight against Al Shabab militants in Somalia.
Nairobi and Dar es Salaam also agreed to work together to stop human trafficking and illegal immigration.
Although the two countries already have an extradition treaty, they did not have a formal prisoner exchange program, which up until now meant A Kenyan prisoner in Tanzania had to serve their entire sentence in a foreign country, and vice versa.
