By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Kenya’s President William Ruto has tendered apologies to neighbouring Tanzania following days of diplomatic row between the East African nations.
This follows the arrest and deportation of a Kenyan activist who had visited Tanzania to monitor a court session involving opposition leader Tundu Lissu.
Young Kenyans had taken to social media to ventilate their anger against Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan over the arrests involving other rights activists within East Africa.
“To our neighbours from Tanzania, if we have wronged you in any way, forgive us,” Ruto said at a national prayer breakfast on Wednesday, in an extension of an olive branch.
“If there is anything that Kenyans have done that is not right, we want to apologise,” the President added.
Angry Tanzanian parliamentarians had on Monday accused Kenyans of cyberbullying, disrespecting Tanzanian sovereignty, and “meddling in domestic affairs”.
Ruto also apologised to young Kenyans, popularly known as Gen-Zs, who have been critical of his administration since the deadly anti-tax protests last June.
Some of them have dismissed Ruto’s apology, insisting that the President should resign.
Ruto’s apologies are in response to a call by visiting American preacher Rickey Allen Bolden, who urged leaders to pursue reconciliation.
Among the activists arrested are Kenya’s Boniface Mwangi and Agather Atuhaire from Uganda.
The two said they were held incommunicado for several days and tortured before being left at the border by Tanzanian security forces, sparking widespread condemnation across the region and from international rights groups.
Tanzania is yet to comment on the torture claims, but President Samia had earlier warned that she would not allow activists from neighbouring countries to “meddle” in her country’s affairs and cause “chaos”.
Both Kenya and Uganda had formally protested against the detention of the activists, accusing the Tanzanian authorities of denying consular access despite repeated requests.
The alleged mistreatment of the activists triggered an online war, with social media users from Kenya and Tanzania clashing over the claims.
In a heated debate on Monday, Tanzanian parliamentarians expressed outrage over the young Kenyans trolling President Samia.
The MPs said the President had every right to defend Tanzania’s national interests.
