Ngoromiko
JF-Expert Member
- Sep 15, 2011
- 554
- 175
Uganda’s Parliament, while expressing shock at the alleged mistreatment of some Ugandan legislators in Kenya, has directed Uganda's Foreign Affairs ministry to protest to Kenya.
This follows claims by two legislators that when they travelled to Kenya recently, different Kenya Police staff stopped them – and demanded for money.
Parliament seemed to suggest – when it pointed out how Nigeria handled its diplomatic standoff with South Africa – that Uganda could make it less pleasurable for Kenyans to travel through Uganda.
“If you read your passports, they say ‘this is to require, in the name of the President of Uganda, that you allow this person to move’. If they are objecting to our movement in their country, it is an insult to the President of the Republic of Uganda,” said the Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga.
“It is very serious. We cannot go on like this. We are directing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to issue a diplomatic note immediately to the Government of Kenya.”
Earlier, Mbale Woman Representative Connie Galiwango had informed the House that when she travelled from Uganda to Kenya to attend her daughter’s wedding in Mombasa, Coast County, different Kenya Police traffic policemen at different roadblocks demanded for money from her.
When she said she would not pay, some of the policemen held her briefly whereas others threatened to lock her up.
“I do not see how the East African Community is helping Ugandans. When Kenyans come to Uganda, we treat them well. However, when we are in their country, they mistreat us. Our leaders have to address this issue otherwise the problem will persist,” Ms Galiwango said.
Usuk MP Peter Ogwang said he had to cut short a journey to Kenya after many policemen asked him for money.
Government Chief Whip Ruth Nankabirwa said Uganda is the most open to free movement of East African Community member states nationals within its borders.
“It is unfortunate that the other countries do not reciprocate,” Ms Nankabirwa said. “This matter is very serious. The Ministry of East African Community Affairs should object to the kind of treatment Kenya subjects Ugandans to.”
Kasilo MP Elijah Okupa said Uganda should reciprocate Kenya’s treatment of Ugandans.
“When some Nigerian flew [from Nigeria] to South Africa and South Africa refused to allow them in because they did not have Yellow Fever [vaccination cards], the Nigerians flew back,” Mr Okupa said.
“When they arrived in Nigeria they reported the incident. And when [later] a South African Airways plane touched down at an airport in Nigeria, Nigerian customs officials said all South African passport holders should not alight from the plane unless they show HIV/AIDS status results.”
SOURCE: Uganda Monitor
One of the Comments :
Kenyans have never respected Ugandans as brotherly neighbors, ever. They have this mixture of arrogance & disdain born out of envy towards us right from the beginning of our republics. After helping the British & Israelis to install Amin by overthrowing the government in 1971- they never even felt sorrow about it when Amin started running amuck- ruining Uganda's economy and killing a lot of people-especially intellectuals. When Ugandans both at home and abroad mobilized to get rid of Amin, many countries led by Tanzania stepped in to assist, but Kenya was silent-busy benefiting economically from the troubles they created for us. Arap Moi was and could still be the worst living Kenyan leader who perpetrated a lot of violence towards Ugandans. He coined a term "Musako" ( house to house searches doctrine), hunting for Ugandans in the dead heat of nights to round up Ugandans in Kenya who had moved there to find ordinary jobs or go to school. When I see Kenyans roam around freely in Uganda, I feel sad, but time and again, I remind myself to be nice even to those who wrong you in the name of Jesus.
My Note:
Lets put more efforts in promoting our EAC rather than shooting it down through such acts.
This follows claims by two legislators that when they travelled to Kenya recently, different Kenya Police staff stopped them – and demanded for money.
Parliament seemed to suggest – when it pointed out how Nigeria handled its diplomatic standoff with South Africa – that Uganda could make it less pleasurable for Kenyans to travel through Uganda.
“If you read your passports, they say ‘this is to require, in the name of the President of Uganda, that you allow this person to move’. If they are objecting to our movement in their country, it is an insult to the President of the Republic of Uganda,” said the Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga.
“It is very serious. We cannot go on like this. We are directing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to issue a diplomatic note immediately to the Government of Kenya.”
Earlier, Mbale Woman Representative Connie Galiwango had informed the House that when she travelled from Uganda to Kenya to attend her daughter’s wedding in Mombasa, Coast County, different Kenya Police traffic policemen at different roadblocks demanded for money from her.
When she said she would not pay, some of the policemen held her briefly whereas others threatened to lock her up.
“I do not see how the East African Community is helping Ugandans. When Kenyans come to Uganda, we treat them well. However, when we are in their country, they mistreat us. Our leaders have to address this issue otherwise the problem will persist,” Ms Galiwango said.
Usuk MP Peter Ogwang said he had to cut short a journey to Kenya after many policemen asked him for money.
Government Chief Whip Ruth Nankabirwa said Uganda is the most open to free movement of East African Community member states nationals within its borders.
“It is unfortunate that the other countries do not reciprocate,” Ms Nankabirwa said. “This matter is very serious. The Ministry of East African Community Affairs should object to the kind of treatment Kenya subjects Ugandans to.”
Kasilo MP Elijah Okupa said Uganda should reciprocate Kenya’s treatment of Ugandans.
“When some Nigerian flew [from Nigeria] to South Africa and South Africa refused to allow them in because they did not have Yellow Fever [vaccination cards], the Nigerians flew back,” Mr Okupa said.
“When they arrived in Nigeria they reported the incident. And when [later] a South African Airways plane touched down at an airport in Nigeria, Nigerian customs officials said all South African passport holders should not alight from the plane unless they show HIV/AIDS status results.”
SOURCE: Uganda Monitor
One of the Comments :
Kenyans have never respected Ugandans as brotherly neighbors, ever. They have this mixture of arrogance & disdain born out of envy towards us right from the beginning of our republics. After helping the British & Israelis to install Amin by overthrowing the government in 1971- they never even felt sorrow about it when Amin started running amuck- ruining Uganda's economy and killing a lot of people-especially intellectuals. When Ugandans both at home and abroad mobilized to get rid of Amin, many countries led by Tanzania stepped in to assist, but Kenya was silent-busy benefiting economically from the troubles they created for us. Arap Moi was and could still be the worst living Kenyan leader who perpetrated a lot of violence towards Ugandans. He coined a term "Musako" ( house to house searches doctrine), hunting for Ugandans in the dead heat of nights to round up Ugandans in Kenya who had moved there to find ordinary jobs or go to school. When I see Kenyans roam around freely in Uganda, I feel sad, but time and again, I remind myself to be nice even to those who wrong you in the name of Jesus.
My Note:
Lets put more efforts in promoting our EAC rather than shooting it down through such acts.
