THE Immigration Department has distanced itself from claims by senior Kenya Government officials who claimed on Wednesday that their passports were confiscated, including that of the Energy Cabinet Secretary, Charles Keter.
The Kenyan delegation further alleged
that they were denied access to the port of Tanga, complaining that a
delegation from Uganda, led by Energy Minister Irene Muloni was allowed
to proceed with the tour without being disturbed by any Tanzanian
official.
In a telephone interview with the ‘Daily
News’, Immigration Services Commissioner for Border Control and
Management Abdullah Khamis said the claims by Kenyan officials that
their travel documents had been confiscated were false, clarifying that
they were only denied entry into the country.
“I am yet to receive enough information
from my colleagues in Tanga. But preliminary reports that I received
earlier today have it that there was a meeting going on between top
Tanzanian officials and the Ugandan delegation; and therefore, allowing
Kenyan officials could have disrupted the talks between the two
countries,’’ Mr Khamis said.
According to Kenya’s ‘Daily Nation’, the
top Kenyan officials had begun their journey at Lamu in the country’s
northern coast, where they inspected the proposed port there before
flying to Tanga.
The trip was part of their mission to
unlock a deadlock between Kenya and Uganda over whether a proposed oil
pipeline to export Uganda’s oil would pass through Kenya or Tanzania.
The newspaper further claimed that
Tanzanian officials took away the travel documents of Mr Keter,
Petroleum Principal Secretary Andrew Kamau, his Energy counterpart, Mr
Joseph Njoroge, and Lapsset CEO Sylvester Kasuku as they attempted to
enter the Tanga Port in the company of the Ugandan delegation.
The tabloid further claimed that
Tanzanian authorities were probably retaliating following Kenya’s
failure to invite them to Lamu, or to the talks held at State House,
Nairobi, between presidents Uhuru Kenyatta and Uganda’s Yoweri Museveni
on Monday.
Home Affairs Minister Charles Kitwanga
said he had no any information on claims by Kenyan top officials
referring this reporter to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, East
Africa, Regional and International Cooperation Dr Augustine Mahiga, who
was, however, unavailable for comment.
Mr Khamis confirmed yesterday that the
Kenyan delegation had already gone back to their country, dismissing the
forfeiture of their travel documents.
According to media reports; during the
Monday meeting, Kenya and Uganda failed to agree on the Northern
Pipeline -- from Hoima in Uganda through Lokichar, to Lamu -- when
President Museveni raised questions about the possible delay in the
construction of the pipeline, the Lamu port and the security situation
in northern Kenya.
No comments :
Post a Comment