National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula has urged prominent Kenyan legal and political figures to refrain from engaging in activities that may strain relations between Kenya and its East African neighbors, particularly Tanzania and Uganda.
Speaking in Bungoma County, Wetang’ula cautioned former Chief Justices Willy Mutunga and David Maraga, Narc Kenya party leader Martha Karua, and activists Boniface Mwangi and Hanifa Adan over their recent actions in Tanzania. He warned that such conduct risks souring diplomatic relations and undermining the East African Community (EAC).
“I want to encourage our friends, our retired Chief Justices and other distinguished Kenyans, please don’t be the ones to foment frosty relations between Kenya and its neighbours,” Wetang’ula said. “We co-exist, trade, and we have more Kenyans living in those countries than there are their citizens living in Kenya.”
His remarks follow the controversial deportation of Kenyan activists and legal figures by Tanzanian authorities. Mutunga, Karua, and Hanifa were denied entry into Tanzania, while Mwangi was briefly detained. The group had travelled to support Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu during a court appearance.
The Speaker, who previously served as Kenya’s Foreign Affairs Minister, emphasized the importance of maintaining peaceful and respectful diplomacy within the EAC.
“I want to urge my fellow Kenyans, who have started a bad habit of roaming all over East Africa to go and foment trouble… that hatutaki kugombana na majirani,” he added, underscoring the need for harmony in the region.
Wetang’ula further dismissed the credibility of some activists, criticizing their attempts to project legal expertise in foreign nations without notable recognition at home.
“You are a lawyer in Kenya, but when we look at your records you have never had any distinction… then you run to Tanzania trying to prove yourself,” he remarked.
Reaffirming Kenya’s commitment to regional peace, Wetang’ula insisted that Tanzania and Uganda have not provoked Kenya and should be treated as respected partners.
“The EAC is not merely a community of flags or presidents; it is a community of the people of East Africa,” he concluded.
