Uganda denies having records of DP Rutos aborted visit

Uganda denies having records of DP Rutos aborted visit

​​The government of Uganda has distanced itself from allegations that it is  interfering in the Internal Affairs of the Republic of Kenya. 

This is after a section of ODM legislators questioned the motive of the frequent trips by Deputy President William Ruto to Uganda. 

The Jubilee party is now accusing Ruto of causing a diplomatic embarrassment between Kenya and her East Africa neighbour.

Four days after deputy President William Ruto’s aborted trip to Uganda, the dust is yet to settle with the Uganda government on Thursday afternoon responding via social media to statements made by members of parliament regarding the cancelled trip’s agenda. 

“We went to Uganda to see how NRM works, and we want to get best practises from them. We want to build a party like the Jubilee of old,” Oscar Sudi, MP, Kapseret said. 

Junet Mohammed, MP, Suna East –  We want to ask Ruto on his relations with NRM. We want to understand what is happening in such visits. 

The statement posted on the government of Uganda’s verified Facebook page clarifies that Ruto’s visit was a private one and, “the @Ministryofforeignaffairsug protocol department has no record whatsoever that there was a request for us to provide protocol services to his excellency Ruto.

It also quotes Hon. Okello Oryem, the Minister of Foreign affairs who said that, “I was not informed by the chief of protocol being requested by the Kenyan high commission in Uganda to provide protocol services to the deputy president.”

 In addition, the government of Uganda goes on to say that, “our foreign policy is very clear that we don’t interfere in the internal affairs of any country whatsoever. We have no authority, we have no power over Kenyan government, they have their own reasons why they prevented he Ruto from coming to Uganda and that should be channelled to the Kenyan High Commission.” 

Emmanuel Dombo the Director of Information at the National Resistance Movement told Citizen TV on Thursday that they are concerned about some statements made by Kenyan lawmakers that could be easily misconstrued. 

“We are trying to build the East African community and do not want the visit by Deputy President William Ruto to be misconstrued. We have hosted Odinga, Ruto and we know how diplomacy works. Recently Ruto visited Uganda, and it represents the brotherhood of East Africa,” Emmanuel Dombo, NRM Director Communications said. 

In a swift rejoinder the Jubilee party has come out this evening to state that, “it is curious that neither the Kenyan government nor Ugandan knew about the DP’s mysterious & controversial trip as well as its objectives. 

This is a matter not to be taken lightly, & the DP must come out clearly to address the numerous secret trips.  

But the statements also reads that, “it must be noted that the DP’s actions have caused a diplomatic embarrassment with Uganda, our top trading partner, following this trend, we are reminding the DP that he is not a private citizen, he is the deputy president of the republic of Kenya, and he is answerable to the people of Kenya.”

A sign of how internal divisions in the ruling party touching on the executive is threatening to spill out to the region.

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