President William Ruto will on Thursday afternoon head to Uganda to attend the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Heads of States’ meeting.
The primary agenda of the meeting which will be in Kampala is to address the ongoing conflict between Addis Ababa and Mogadishu, particularly concerning Ethiopia’s acknowledgment of Somaliland as a sovereign state.
Ruto will come to face with Uganda President Yoweri Museveni, Somalia’s Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, Paul Kagame of Rwanda, Tanzania’s Samia Suluhu and Democratic Republic of Congo’s Felix Tshisekedi or their representatives.
At the same time, President Ruto will attend the 19th Non-Aligned Movement Summit (NAM) which started on Monday.
According to the President's diary, the two-day visit is expected to play a crucial role in diplomatic discussions and regional collaboration.
Kenya is involved in a diplomatic tiff with at least five countries in what threatens to damage its foreign relations with neighbours in the region.
The wrangles spring from business interests, politics, policies and public gaffes by top government officials that have triggered a massive diplomatic fury.
Out of the five countries Kenya has locked horns with, four are from the East Africa Community bloc and are her biggest trading partners.
They are Tanzania, Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda.
Kenya has also reportedly clashed with Sudan.
International Relations expert Prof Macharia Munene says that Kenya is increasingly becoming isolated in the region because of the ‘bad’ policies of the government.
“Kenya is not at war with her neighbours but it is confused and looks isolated in the region. Policymakers are confused and they don’t seem to know what they are doing,” he said.
On Monday, Tanzanian authorities banned Kenya Airways flights to Dar es Salaam with effect from January 22.
The ban was, however, lifted on Tuesday evening.
The Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority Director General Hamza Johari said the decision to ban Kenyan flights was reached after the country refused its request for all-cargo flight operations by Air Tanzania.
“Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority, on behalf of the aeronautical authorities of the United Republic of Tanzania, has decided to rescind the approvals for KQ to operate passenger flights between Nairobi and Dar es Salaam under Third and Fourth Freedom Traffic Rights with effect from 22 January 2024,” the statement reads.
Kenya Diaspora Alliance chairman Shem Ochuodho emphasised the need for Kenya to maintain good relations with her neighbours.
“It is good that we have good neighbourliness that is mutually beneficial to all the parties,” he said.
Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi and Transport CS Kipchumba Murkomen said they had initiated talks with their counterparts in Tanzania leading to the lifting of the ban.
Apart from its row with Tanzania, Kenya has also been dragged to court by Uganda – her biggest trade partner and long-term friend– over an oil importation deal.
In the case filed at the East African Court of Justice, Uganda said the Kenyan government denied it the licence to operate locally and handle oil imports headed to the territory.
Through its Attorney General, Uganda said that Kenya restrained the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority from issuing them with a licence for the importation of oil from Mombasa to Uganda.
Consequently, President Yoweri Museveni-led country claimed that Kenya reneged on its earlier commitment to support its quest to import its fuel directly.
Uganda claims they import approximately 90 per cent of its refined petroleum products through the Port of Mombasa and the products are transported to the country using the pipeline owned and operated by the Kenyan Pipeline Company Limited.
However, on Friday East African Community and Regional Development Cabinet Secretary (CS) Peninah Malonza confirmed that Ruto will be meeting his Ugandan counterpart to resolve a diplomatic conflict over the fuel import dispute.
In December last year, President Ruto declared as perfect Kenya’s diplomatic relations with her neighbour and other countries in the continent and beyond.
“The relations between me and Museveni are perfect; the relationship between Kenya and Tanzania is perfect," the President said.
The assurance also came at the time the government of the DRC had protested after Kenya reportedly hosted Congolese politicians and groups, including the M23 rebels who have seized eastern Congo.
Corneille Nangaa, a former Congo election commission chief, launched the Congo River Alliance, a political outfit, at the event in Nairobi.
At the launch, Nangaa, sanctioned by the US for corruption and obstructing the 2018 election, said the alliance would bring together various Congolese armed groups, militias and social and political organisations.
This happened just days before the December 20 election in DRC.
The new alliance is an additional concern in a region where insecurity has persisted for decades, fuelled by ethnic rivalries and a tussle over land and resources with regional implications.
In retaliation, President Félix Tshisekedi recalled the country's ambassador to Kenya “for consultations.”