Museveni warns Kenyan MPs over disruption of Uganda’s railway link
Jun 21, 2009
President Yoweri Museveni has warned Kenyan MPs against taking for granted the robust economic ties between Kenya and Uganda.
By Reuben Olita and Milton Olupot
President Yoweri Museveni has warned Kenyan MPs against taking for granted the robust economic ties between Kenya and Uganda.
“The trade between the two countries is in favour of Kenya,†Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) yesterday quoted Museveni as saying.
“Uganda exports goods worth $100m (about sh220b) to Kenya while Kenya exports goods worth $500m (about sh1 trillion to Uganda.†KBC also reported that Museveni warned that Uganda could be constrained to seek an alternative route for her exports and imports due to transport interruptions in Kenya.
“My country is frustrated by the interruption of flow of goods when youth uproot sections of the railway line linking Kenya and Uganda,†he said.
He was addressing Kenyan MPs led by the vice-president, Kalonzo Musyoka, in Berlin, Germany on Saturday.
The meeting, at the sidelines of the 14th Berlin International Prayer Breakfast Conference, where Museveni was a guest speaker, discussed the disputed Migingo Island, regional integration and bilateral relations.
Museveni said Uganda would accept the outcome of the sh6b joint survey that is still going on.
The Kenyan delegation included MPs Ababu Namwamba, Magerer Langat, Kiema Kilonzo, Eugene Wamalwa, Erastus Mureithi and Charles Kilonzo.
Museveni stated that he was quoted out of context when it was alleged that he had insulted the Jaluo, a Kenyan ethnic group.
He was responding to an observation by Mutito MP Kiema Kilonzo that the comments that Museveni made in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania about the Jaluo, raised political temperatures.
Musyoka expressed confidence that Kenya’s relation with Uganda would remain strong and that the Migingo dispute would be resolved amicably.
“It is time to move aggressively towards a regional integration to unify the people of East Africa,†he is quoted as saying.
Budalangi MP Ababu Namwamba told Museveni that it was the duty of Kenyan leaders to protect the integrity of the Kenyan borders.
Namwamba, whose constituency shares Lake Victoria with Uganda, said there was need to share common resources to foster unity.
Recently, Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki warned MPs against insulting Ugandans and their leader, saying the practice should stop forthwith.
Kibaki also called for an end to the debates on Migingo by Parliament to give the survey team time to complete the exercise.
The warning was after the Parliament passed a motion seeking the intervention of the United Nations Security Council.
On Saturday during the Tusker Safari Sevens Rugby tournament in Nairobi, the Uganda national rugby team was ridiculed by Kenyan fans who chanted, “Migingo, Migingoâ€.
President Yoweri Museveni has warned Kenyan MPs against taking for granted the robust economic ties between Kenya and Uganda.
“The trade between the two countries is in favour of Kenya,†Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) yesterday quoted Museveni as saying.
“Uganda exports goods worth $100m (about sh220b) to Kenya while Kenya exports goods worth $500m (about sh1 trillion to Uganda.†KBC also reported that Museveni warned that Uganda could be constrained to seek an alternative route for her exports and imports due to transport interruptions in Kenya.
“My country is frustrated by the interruption of flow of goods when youth uproot sections of the railway line linking Kenya and Uganda,†he said.
He was addressing Kenyan MPs led by the vice-president, Kalonzo Musyoka, in Berlin, Germany on Saturday.
The meeting, at the sidelines of the 14th Berlin International Prayer Breakfast Conference, where Museveni was a guest speaker, discussed the disputed Migingo Island, regional integration and bilateral relations.
Museveni said Uganda would accept the outcome of the sh6b joint survey that is still going on.
The Kenyan delegation included MPs Ababu Namwamba, Magerer Langat, Kiema Kilonzo, Eugene Wamalwa, Erastus Mureithi and Charles Kilonzo.
Museveni stated that he was quoted out of context when it was alleged that he had insulted the Jaluo, a Kenyan ethnic group.
He was responding to an observation by Mutito MP Kiema Kilonzo that the comments that Museveni made in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania about the Jaluo, raised political temperatures.
Musyoka expressed confidence that Kenya’s relation with Uganda would remain strong and that the Migingo dispute would be resolved amicably.
“It is time to move aggressively towards a regional integration to unify the people of East Africa,†he is quoted as saying.
Budalangi MP Ababu Namwamba told Museveni that it was the duty of Kenyan leaders to protect the integrity of the Kenyan borders.
Namwamba, whose constituency shares Lake Victoria with Uganda, said there was need to share common resources to foster unity.
Recently, Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki warned MPs against insulting Ugandans and their leader, saying the practice should stop forthwith.
Kibaki also called for an end to the debates on Migingo by Parliament to give the survey team time to complete the exercise.
The warning was after the Parliament passed a motion seeking the intervention of the United Nations Security Council.
On Saturday during the Tusker Safari Sevens Rugby tournament in Nairobi, the Uganda national rugby team was ridiculed by Kenyan fans who chanted, “Migingo, Migingoâ€.