africanpress.in

Migori town residents on Satuday held a peaceful demonstration against Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni over his slur on Kenyans and failure to apologise for it.

The placard-waving crowd caused a traffic snarl-up on the busy Migori – Kisii – Isebania highway, demanding quick government action to end the dispute over Migingo island in Lake Victoria.

The protesters, led by the Migori Street Vendors Association secretary Joseph Olala, dismissed a claim by Mr Museveni that he had been “quoted of context” as a futile attempt to undermine the intelligence of Kenyans.

“Everybody heard him on the BBC radio interview. Trying to deny or say that he was quoted out of context is not helping the situation. He must unconditionally apologise to Kenyans and especially the Luo community,” Mr Olala said.

At the same time, Muslim leaders led by the chairman of the Migori Muslim Development Ebrahim Omar Hussein said the dispute should be handled carefully because the two countries depended on each other for trade.

He asked Mr Museveni to be civil and diplomatic when talking about matters affecting the region warning that the Ugandan president risked undermining the envisaged East Africa Federation.

The protesters burnt the effigy of the Ugandan leader in the streets.

Hostile neighbour

They also presented a petition to the Migori DO1 John Tanui, asking President Kibaki to show leadership in the wake of “verbal assault by the hostile neighbour”.

Mr Tanui asked them to wait for the outcome of the joint survey between the two countries.

In Mombasa, nominated MP Sheikh Dor asked President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga to act in concert over the Migingo issue.

And in Arusha, the East African Community secretariat expressed concerns over the Migingo dispute.

The secretariat also urged the media to refrain from publishing “alarming” statements on the issue.

EAC secretary-general Juma Mwapachu said in a statement said continued “sensitive media reports” on the issue would only serve to undermine the work of the Joint Technical Survey Team that was commissioned to deal with the matter by the two states.

source.nation.ke

Anti-Museveni procession held - Museveni characterised the Luos as mad people recently and now refuses to apologise