Days after Deputy President William Ruto aborted his trip to Uganda, the Yoweri Museveni-led country has issued a statement to clarify the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Ruto was set for a private trip to the neighbouring country on Monday, which was to be his second trip in a month but was blocked by immigration officials at Wilson Airport.
After waiting for clearance for about five hours, the DP is said to have given up and returned to his office.
Ruto’s communication secretary David Mugonyi said Ruto was asked to seek clearance from the Head of Public Service and Secretary to the Cabinet Joseph Kinyua.
The incident stirred mixed reactions, with some Kenyans arguing that Uganda was meddling into Kenya’s affairs.
However, Uganda in a statement has said that it had not arranged any protocol for DP Ruto.
Uganda’s ministry of foreign affairs said the Protocol Department has no record that there was a request for them to provide protocol services to Ruto.
“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,” State Minister for Foreign Affairs Okello Oryem said.
Oryem said Ugandan foreign policy is very clear that they 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 Ruto from coming to Uganda,” he said.
during an interview with Inooro FM on Wednesday, Ruto said he has previously travelled without obtaining clearance.
“What happened at Wilson is part of the onslaught on me in the supremacy fights in the ranks of Jubilee,” the DP said.
The deputy president said he has been sidelined in government for quite some time.
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