Finally, Dr William Ruto the President of Kenya has apologized to Ugandans and asked for their forgiveness if his administration has wronged them in any way.
In a reconciliatory tone, president Ruto also offered a public apology to Kenya’s youth and neighboring Tanzania people when was presiding over this year’s Kenyan annual National Prayer Breakfast held at Safari Park Hotel in Nairobi.
“Our neighbours from Tanzania, if we have wronged you in any way forgive us, our friends from Uganda if there is anything Kenyans have done which is not right we are apologising. To our children, if there has been any misstep on our part, we apologise. We want to build a relationship with you that will make our country great and move us forward,” president Ruto said in the presence of the delegation from Uganda including the trade minister David Bahati.
The apology from the Head of State of Kenya to neighbouring countries, comes days after Kenyan activists were tortured and deported from Tanzania including the former Chief Justice Willy Mutunga, People’s Liberation Party leader Martha Karua, activists Boniface Mwangi, Hanifa Adan and others.
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Mwangi and Ugandan activist Agather Atuhaire were detained by Tanzanian authorities and dumped at their countries’ respective boarders with Tanzania.
Tanzanian President Hassan Suluhu boasted that her government will not allow any activities from foreign countries to sabotage the peace of Tanzania.
President Ruto has been accused of forging an unholy alliance with Tanzanian President Suluhu and president Museveni to crackdown dissenters across the East African Community region.
However, at Safari Park Hotel today, President Ruto moved to quell rising tensions, signaling a shift towards “humility and healing in leadership”.
President Ruto’s apology comes at a time when Ugandans are bitter with him over allegations that he looked on as security operatives from Uganda kidnapped Ugandan opposition strongman Dr Kizza Besigye and his political assistant Al-Hajji Obed Kamulegeya Lutale who where in Kenya to attend a book launch of Marth Karua a Human Rights lawyer and opposition figure in Kenya.
Besigye was slapped with treason charges in the Court martial but was saved by Supreme Court Justices led by Chief Justice Owiny Dollo who declared in the landmark judgement that it is illegal to try civilians in a military court even though parliament reinstate the law taking them back to army court.
Since his kidnap in November 2024, Dr Besigye and Lutale are still struggling to get their freedom and recently High Court judge of the Criminal Division and also the Deputy chairperson of the Judicial Service Commission Comfort Kania denied them bail even though they had executed all the necessary requirements to be released.
Last week, Besigye’s lawyers led by Kampala City Lord Mayor Ssalongo Erias Lukwago protested the move by the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) to amend the charge sheet against the accused persons insisting that the trial magistrate must first hear their application of releasing them on bail since they have spent six months in prison without being committed to the High Court for trial.
Lukwago also pleaded to Justice Dollo to intervene claiming that Justice Emmanuel Baguma had intentionally sat on their second bail application which they filed in the Criminal Division of the High Court two months back.
However, Mawanda Ereemye the Judiciary spokesperson defended Justice Baguma explaining that he was still arranging his new chambers since he was just transferred from the Civil Division of the High Court to the new station.
Ugandans are also bitter that president Ruto looked on as Ugandan operatives deployed in Kenyan kidnapped Ugandan opposition activities who were invited for a political workshop in Kenya. They were returned to Uganda and charged with treason and terrorism charges.
The business community in Uganda are also not happy with President Ruto. They accuse officials in his government of harassing them and denying Ugandan products entry into the Kenyan market even though Kenyans are allowed to do business in Uganda.
Ruto’s apology comes days after his Ugandan counterpart Museveni also apologised to Ugandans especially Baganda for the atrocities he has committed through his agents or representatives against them.
