Kampala says relations with Kenya tight despite Uganda House blaze

Uganda has reaffirmed its solid relations with Kenya despite the recent destruction of Uganda House during intense protests in Nairobi against the Finance Bill, 2024 on Tuesday.

“The government of the Republic of Uganda would like to categorically state that our relations with the government and indeed the people of the Republic of Kenya remain solid,” read a statement released by Uganda’s foreign ministry on Wednesday.

Uganda House, a six-floor commercial building on Kenyatta Avenue, was vandalised and set ablaze as protests escalated from earlier peaceful demonstrations, leading to widespread destruction of property.

The building, which had been undergoing renovations and was slated for reopening on Friday, June 28, was only occupied by commercial tenants on the ground floor at the time of the incident.

The other floors, including the third floor which previously housed the Ugandan Consular Office, had been vacated for renovations.

The Ugandan government expressed regret over the incident and commended the Nairobi City County fire department for its prompt response in extinguishing the fire, which prevented any fatalities or serious injuries.

"We are grateful that there are no reported fatalities or serious injuries that have been identified so far," the statement said.

Ugandan authorities emphasised that none of their diplomatic or consular staff was present in the building when the fire broke out, called for calm, and urged all parties to avoid unnecessary speculation and premature conclusions and allow investigations into the incident to proceed.

The reason behind the burning of Uganda House is not yet known.

Could this be a case of misinformation?

Some Kenyans believe that Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni was against the protests due to an online poster allegedly designed by a Kenyan outlet on June 20, which claimed he said his “neighbours are picketing instead of working”.

However, this circular was flagged as fake. The Ugandan government stated that there was no record of Museveni making such a statement.

The torching of Uganda House is more than an act of vandalism; under international law, specifically through principles enshrined in the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (1961) and the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations (1963). It represents an attack on a sovereign nation’s property and could have serious diplomatic repercussions.

The incident highlights the fragility of international relations in the face of domestic unrest and the potential for misinformation to escalate tensions.

The Eastleigh Voice has learned that Ugandan Chief of Defence Forces General Muhoozi Kainerugaba has directed the country’s police force to bolster security at Kenya’s High Commission in Kololo, Kampala.

Reinforcement forces were reportedly deployed at the diplomatic mission on Tuesday night. Chimps Reports, a Ugandan site closely associated with the general, reported that Muhoozi, who serves as the chairman of the Interagency Security Committee (ISC), issued the order to prevent any retaliatory attacks by Ugandans following the burning of Uganda House in Nairobi.

“It is our responsibility as the host country to secure Kenya’s diplomatic mission and its staff,” Muhoozi was quoted as saying.

In mid-May, Kenyan President William Ruto received his Ugandan counterpart Museveni at State House in Nairobi during his three-day state visit as the two countries looked to renew a relationship that had deteriorated since Ruto took over from former president Uhuru Kenyatta in September 2022.

Uganda is Kenya’s largest trading partner, by value of exports, with earnings crossing the Sh100 billion mark for the first time.

Traders in Kenya earned Sh127.24 billion from orders they trucked to the land-locked country on increased demand for cement clinkers.

Estimates for the country’s exports indicate a 31.94 per cent increase from the previous year’s Sh96.43 billion.

During the Nairobi meeting, Ruto and Museveni announced they had reached an agreement to address all bottlenecks, aiming to avert regional trade instability and disputes and to facilitate integration