Prime cabinet secretary Musalia Mudavadi has expressed frustration to Uganda's minister of foreign affairs over their failure to provide answers despite repeated inquiries.
A resounding nothing has resulted from repeated inquiries from Kenya to Uganda, through diplomatic channels, on the status of Kenyan nationals Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo, who were reportedly abducted from a petrol station in Kampala on the 1st of October.
In a letter to Uganda's minister of foreign affairs dated a week ago, prime cabinet secretary Musalia Mudavadi expressed frustration that previous attempts to engage on the matter had yielded a yawning silence.
He further noted, “It is with profound concern that I note nearly a month has elapsed since our initial communication and the government of the Republic of Kenya is yet to receive a formal response from the government of the Republic of Uganda regarding the whereabouts and well-being of our nationals in question.”
Mudavadi is not seeking merely a response, but answers on what action the government of Uganda has taken in response to the concern formally raised by Kenya on the safety of its citizens last seen in Uganda.
The prime cabinet secretary also raised concern over the recent dismissal by a Ugandan High Court of a habeas corpus application seeking their production by security agents. In the application, it was submitted that the two were in military custody after campaigning for Ugandan opposition presidential candidate Bobbi Wine.
Mudavadi impressed upon his Ugandan counterpart that, “As your excellency is aware we are both duty bound to the protection and safety of our citizens both at home and abroad. We believe that prompt action on this matter is therefore important to upholding our shared values, honouring the treaty for the establishment of the East African Community, and preserving the strong, long-standing relations between Kenya and Uganda.”
In a concerted effort to exert pressure and secure the cooperation of the Ugandan government, civil society has invited concerned citizens to petition President Yoweri Museveni in an email campaign. By Olive Burrows, Citizen Digital
