Ruto-Museveni Crisis Meeting in Uganda
On Tuesday, October 10, President William Ruto will fly to Uganda for a crisis meeting with his Ugandan counterpart, Yoweri Museveni.
According to Ruto, the primary purpose of the meeting will be to discuss security issues at the frontier involving Kenyan fishermen and Ugandan military personnel.
Ruto assured residents of Homa Bay during his tour of Nyanza that he would consult with Museveni on how to resolve the conflict before it escalates into a full-blown diplomatic crisis.
“You have talked about security. You have said that the fishermen are lamenting about theft and their lives being at risk. I am here to assure you that on Tuesday, I will pay a visit to Museveni and discuss how these things will work out,” Ruto pledged.
We only desire excellent relations with our neighbors, and we want our security forces to cooperate. I will take care of it. No cause for concern,” he added.
His remarks were in response to complaints lodged by locals who were harassed and apprehended while fishing in Lake Victoria.
Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga added that the recent attacks hindered fishing activities at the lake, thus depleting the residents’ primary source of income.
According to Wanga, over seventy-five Kenyan fishermen have been detained by Ugandan police while fishing in the lake over the past six months, with some of them going missing.
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“A cause for concern is that our fishermen are attacked by Ugandans and they end up getting kidnapped in the country. The Ugandans also steal our fish. They also attack our policemen. That is something that needs to be sorted out. There are coast guards who are mandated to protect the fishermen by capturing them instead of protecting us from the fishermen. Something needs to be done,” she urged.
“I know with your word, they will stop this habit so that we can continue forward.”
Ruto, who inaugurated the construction of the Mfangano Island Ring Road in Suba North Constituency, also presented county residents with a gift package.
The head of state pledged seven million Kenyan shillings for the renovation and expansion of Sena and Misori Primary School. He also assured the locals that he would address the region’s frequent power outages.
The governor of Homa Bay, Gladys Wanga, concurred, stating that the county and national governments needed to collaborate to improve service delivery.
“One thing I can agree with you is that it doesn’t matter how the people voted, what matters is that we all work together. You all know that I was elected on an Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) ticket, but the Constitution requires us to work together to effectively provide services to Kenyans,” she reiterated.
On Monday, the president will conclude his four-day development tour of the Nyanza region, during which he will visit Siaya, Homa Bay, Kisumu, and Migori counties with the Bottom-up agenda of Kenya Kwanza.
Ruto-Museveni Crisis Meeting in Uganda