NAIROBI, Kenya -                                             Kenyan government has returned to Tanzania the 35kg of gold seized in the country by police as the two countries join hands to fight cross-border illicit trade.

The gold, which was intercepted at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) on Feb. 15, 2018, was handed over by Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta's special envoy, Monica Juma, who is also the country's Minister for Foreign Affairs, to Tanzanian President John Magufuli.

Although It is not yet clear the actual value of the gold returned but initial estimates put it at Ksh100 million ($1 million).

The consignment was received by Tanzanian President John Magufuli in State House Dar es Salaam.

It was tested in public to prove that it was actual gold in a dramatic function that saw President Uhuru Kenyatta call in live from Nairobi.

This comes days after President Kenyatta visited Tanzania earlier this month and held talks with Dr Magufuli. The talks are expected to iron out trade differences between the two East African nations.

President Magufuli revealed in his speech that Kenya wants to buy processed maize flour from the country as well as gas.

In a dramatic ceremony, President Kenyatta called Magufuli on phone during the handover, sending his regards.

“My brother, I say we continue working together and Kenya and Tanzania have no borders as we agreed. We should help one another to fight corruption and to return money stolen from our people so that we build roads and connect our people to electricity,” Mr Kenyatta said on phone.

Kenya has in the recent past stepped up the fight against illegal gold trading that has seen Nairobi become a playground for fake and illicit gold from the region, especially the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to local media, The East African.

The online media also stated that the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) had become a favourite transit port for gold smugglers,