Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has called for Kenya not to be judged “too harshly” over the recent abduction and deportation of Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye in Nairobi.
Mudavadi’s comments come a month after the abduction and repatriation of four Turkish asylum seekers from Nairobi. He emphasized that foreigners should not cause diplomatic tensions between Kenya and their home countries.
While he stopped short of admitting to Besigye’s abduction, Mudavadi reiterated that Kenya values its strong partnership with Uganda and aims to maintain good bilateral relations with all neighboring countries. He said, “I want to state first that Uganda is a strong partner of Kenya, and we want to continue maintaining strong bilateral ties with the country of Uganda and indeed all our other neighbours.”
He continued, “So I would like to say that the incident you refer to should not be used to judge us too harshly regarding Kenya’s foreign policy. We believe any concerns with Uganda will be resolved diplomatically.”
Mudavadi spoke during a media briefing marking 60 years of Kenya’s diplomatic journey at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs headquarters in Nairobi, alongside Foreign Affairs PS Korir Singoei.
The Prime Cabinet Secretary also highlighted Kenya’s longstanding commitment to hosting refugees, noting that the country currently accommodates 800,000 refugees in Kakuma, Dadaab, and urban areas. “We shall continue playing that role and hosting fellow Africans who are in distress on our soil from time to time until things improve in their respective countries,” Mudavadi stated.
On the issue of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Mudavadi announced that Kenya would not back any Kenyan candidate to replace Akinwumi Adesina, the current president, whose term ends in September 2025. He confirmed, however, that Kenya would support candidates from other countries in exchange for backing Raila Odinga’s bid to become the next chairperson of the African Union Commission.
“We have high hopes that President Ruto, who started this campaign, will have good news when he and Raila are selected to be members of the African Union Commission,” Mudavadi said, urging Kenyans to refrain from negative propaganda against Odinga that could harm his chances.
Mudavadi also reflected on Kenya’s 60-year diplomatic journey, noting that the country had expanded from its initial six missions in 1964 to 68 missions globally today. These include 29 in Africa, 16 in Asia/Middle East, 14 in Europe, five in the Americas, and one in Oceania, in addition to the country’s offices at the United Nations in Nairobi, New York, Geneva, and Paris.
