‘Kenya Will Pay For Kenya Kwanza’s Recklessness,’ Raila Accuses Ruto Gov’t Of Damaging Ties With EAC
Azimio La Umoja Coalition Party Leader Raila Odinga is now accusing President William Ruto’s administration of messing up the diplomatic relations between Kenya and other countries within the East African Community (EAC).
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Mr Odinga cited the recent failure by EAC leaders to grace the Jamhuri Day celebrations held at Uhuru Gardens last week claiming that the leaders avoided the event due to the supposed tiff created by the Kenya Kwanza administration.
Odinga went on to allege that the current regime was damaging the existing ties with the EAC through a series of gaffes the latest being a legal battle with Uganda and controversial remarks by Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen on Rwanda.
“None of our neighboring EAC countries were represented at the level of President, Vice President, or Prime Minister as would have been expected in such a significant occasion that has been the tradition until we have taken it for granted,” he stated.
“We must tell Kenyans that our neighbors are not to blame for this negative development in our relationship. At the center of the continuing damage of our relationship in EAC is the unbridled greed and corruption as practiced by the Kenya Kwanza Ruto government and the arrogance and foul mouth that has come with it.”
The Azimio chief went on to refer to the recent suit by the Ugandan government over Kenya’s move to impose fees on its petroleum products transiting from the Port of Mombasa.
According to Odinga, Uganda is a landlocked country and thus Kenya ought to allow the free movement of products as recognized by international treaties.
“Uganda has been forced to go to the High Court in Kenya through its Uganda Petroleum Company to challenge a formula instigated by the Kenya Kwanza cartel that forces the sovereign state of Uganda to have its petroleum products transiting through Kenya to pay a “middleman” fee,” he noted.
“The actions of the Kenya Kwanza cartel undermine the letter and the spirit of the EAC treaty. To waylay our land-locked neighbors who have used Kenya as their preferred route for import and export may hurt the neighbors now, but Kenya will pay the price in the long run.”
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Odinga added: “Uganda has been forced to seek a different route through Dar-es-salaam and the other EAC countries will follow suit and Kenya will be the looser eventually. For example, the long-distance haulage industry will collapse and Kenyan businesses will have to close down. More people will lose jobs. We don’t think that our girls being employed as maids in the Middle Eastern countries will be able to bridge such a gap.”
In the same light, the former premier also cited Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen’s pronouncement on Rwanda being an autocracy as another case of the Ruto administration acting undiplomatically.
The ODM leader condemned the sentiments by the CS which have since caused a public outrage terming them as ‘unfortunate and undiplomatic’.
“Statecraft and diplomacy require a different and more sophisticated etiquette beyond expensive watches, suits, and walking sticks. The coarse language used against the great country and friendly people of Rwanda is most unfortunate,” Odinga stated.
“Rwanda is the size of Switzerland and is actually bigger than Singapore. It is not the size that makes nations but the vision and leadership. To our Rwandese brothers and sisters, we apologize for the sins of a regime intoxicated by power and corruption.”
He added: “As a party, we are concerned and disturbed by the direction Kenya Kwanza regime is taking on the global stage. Our country will pay a steep price for this Kenya Kwanza recklessness.”
CS Murkomen, while speaking on Speaking on Citizen TV’s Monday Report show, said Kenya ought not to be compared to Rwanda in terms of development, stating that while Nairobi is a democratic nation, Kigali is an autocracy where “whatever the President says is the law.”
‘Kenya Will Pay For Kenya Kwanza’s Recklessness,’ Raila Accuses Ruto Gov’t Of Damaging Ties With EAC
