Kenya says none of its nationals in Burundi is in danger from
the chaos that has been ongoing in the East African country since last
Sunday.
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Permanent Secretary Karanja Kibicho Saturday told the Sunday Nation that his office had so far not received any distress call from Kenyans living in Burundi.
He said: “I was there on Friday. There is tension but it is not out of hand. I met with Kenyans living there and I have assured them we will be on hand.
He said: “I was there on Friday. There is tension but it is not out of hand. I met with Kenyans living there and I have assured them we will be on hand.
“There are a lot of hotspots like in any
other election, people have protested against the decision of President
Pierre Nkurunziza to run for a third term but it is not that the whole
of Burundi is protesting”.
An estimated 3,000 Kenyans live in Burundi.
Earlier this week, Britain issued updated travel advisories on the East African country.
Earlier this week, Britain issued updated travel advisories on the East African country.
“The
Foreign and Commonwealth Office now advise against all but essential
travel to Burundi, and against all travel to some parts of the country,”
says an updated advice posted on the British Foreign and Commonwealth
Office website on Wednesday.
“If you’re already in
Burundi and you don’t have an essential reason to remain, you should
leave now by commercial means. If you do remain in Burundi, you should
restrict your movements to essential travel only.” Australia issued
similar advice.
KILLED
At
least ten people have been killed and thousands have fled to
neighbouring Rwanda since the protests broke out in Burundi, a day after
the ruling party, the National Centre for the Defence of Democracy –
Forces for the Defence of Democracy nominated Mr Nkurunziza as its
candidate for the election on June 26. Security agencies then arrested
about 600 protesters, most of them university students and human rights
activists, and shut down an influential radio station: Africa Public
Radio.
On Friday, Dr Kibicho travelled to Bujumbura
where the Kenyan government donated 150 laptops and $6,000 (Sh569,000)
to the Burundi National Electoral Commission.
He said that Kenya would only ask for free and fair elections.
He said that Kenya would only ask for free and fair elections.
Kenya is the only country in the East African Community that has commented on the chaos in Burundi.
On
Wednesday, former Trade Minister and now head of the United Nations
Conference on Trade and Development, Mukhisa Kituyi, criticised the EAC
for looking the other way.
“Leaders of East African
Community must take a common position on the unfolding crisis in Burundi
informed by the EAC governance protocol,” he wrote on Twitter.
On
Friday, the African Union sent a team of envoys to Burundi to help
“defuse current tension” but said little on whether it would will urge
Mr Nkurunziza to retire.
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