Uganda government through Ministry of East African Affairs has written to the Kenyan parliament demanding that three legislators to retract or apologise for their statements.
The youthful Kenyan MPs also threatened to stage demonstrations in Kampala if, Bobi Wine, was not released in one week.
Lawmakers Jared Okelo (Nyando), Babu Owino (Embakasi East) and Gideon Keter (nominated) of the Kenya Young Parliamentarians Association said they will first stage a protest against the arrest and torture of Mr Wine at the Ugandan Embassy in Kenya before escalating it to the neighbouring country.
While addressing the press on Wednesday last week at the Kenyan parliament buildings in Nairobi, the lawmakers said they will speak out against abuse of human rights being meted out on the youthful Ugandan legislator following his arbitrary arrest.
“An injustice anywhere is an injustice everywhere, we will not keep quiet while one of us is being subjected to inhuman treatment just across the border,” Mr Okelo said
Adding “Our number one mandate as young MPs is to is to protect human rights. We are giving the Ugandan authority one week to unconditionally release Bobi Wine or else we will lead a delegation to Uganda and hold a mother of all protests on the streets of Kampala,” he added.
East African Affairs state minister Julius Maganda Wandera told the parliamentary committee on East African Community Affairs yesterday that ‘action’ had already been taken against the Kenyan MPs.
“We as the ministry have already taken note of the comment which doesn’t sound so well at bi-lateral level where it is supposed to be encouraging Ugandans, Kenyans and East Africans… where we allow each partner state to keep its sovereignty and governance as much as we operate under a treaty for the establishment of the EA community,” Maganda said. He further explained “We have written through the speaker of parliament to address her fellow speaker of Kenya so that they can make these MPs of Kenya to understand the rules of procedure and the diplomatic relationships and the messages that should be done especially when they are meant to address issues that pertain to the [other] state,” Maganda added.