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Uganda protests Babu Owino’s Museveni ‘slur’


Uganda has accused three Kenyan lawmakers, including Embakasi East MP, Babu Owino, of meddling in the country’s political affairs.

Uganda’s Minister of State for East African Community Affairs, Julius Wandera, made the claim while appearing before the Parliamentary Committee on East African Community Affairs on Wednesday.

He was responding to concerns raised by the committee members on the recent conduct of Kenyan legislators who joined the campaign calling for the release of their Ugandan colleagues in detention.

The Kenyan lawmakers namely Owino, Gideon Keter (Nominated) and Jared Okelo (Nyando) under the auspices of the Kenya Young Parliamentarians Association are accused of hurling insults at President Yoweri Museveni while demanding that he releases Hon Robert Kyagulanyi commonly known as Bobi Wine and his colleagues who were detained in Arua.

“Kenyans, including MPs, came out and abused our president but nothing was done by the ministry. They were demanding our President to free Bobi Wine, as who?” asked Rukiga MP Caroline Kamusiime.

APOLOGY DEMANDS

Wandera added that his Ministry had written to the Parliament of Kenya through Uganda’s Speaker demanding calls for the Kenyan MPs to apologize.

“We as a Ministry have already taken note of the abusive language to our president by some Kenyan MPs. These comments don’t sound so well at the bi-lateral level and the spirit of East African Community where each member state is encouraged to run as a sovereign state,” said Wandera.

“We want a comment to come out officially to either retract the statements or apologize or else we might seek through our embassy to have these matters placed before the President of Kenya.”

Last week, Owino threatened to storm Kampala and lead demonstrations if Bobi Wine was not unconditionally released, stating he ‘did not fear Museveni’.

“We have been arrested before and do not fear Museveni. We will be taking a revolutionary demonstration to Uganda because it is high time things change in our neighbouring country. We cannot sit and watch injustices being committed in the continent,” Owino declared.