The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Secretary General Edwin Sifuna has issued three demands to President William Ruto over the recent rift between Kenya and Tanzania.
In a statement on social media on Wednesday, the Nairobi senator called for a ban on all members of Tanzania's Chama Cha Maendeleo (CCM) Party from travelling to Kenya.
Secondly, he asked that Kenya withdraw from the joint hosting of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) with both Uganda and Tanzania, whom he termed as dictatorial.
Lastly, he demanded that the East Africa Law Society (EALS) annual conference be moved from Zanzibar.
He ended his tirade with a direct message to President Ruto, asking him to withdraw his apology to Tanzania and have the country apologise to Kenya instead.
"Withdraw that fake apology and demand that Tanzania apologise to us instead," he stated.
Since the detainment of Kenyan activists in Tanzania in late May, the two countries have been engulfed in a battle of words, with social media being used as a tool for young Kenyans to perpetuate their attack on Tanzania.
During the National Prayer Breakfast on May 28, President Ruto apologised to both Tanzania and Uganda, even inviting a Tanzanian delegation to the event at the height of the tensions.
“From Tanzania, if we have wronged you in any way, please forgive us. Our friends from Uganda, if we have wronged you in any way, please forgive us,” he said.
Although six activists were deported from the airport on their way to support Tanzania's opposition leader Tundu Lissu in court on May 19, activist and photojournalist Boniface Mwangi was detained for days.
While he was still missing, Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi seemingly backed Tanzania's decision to detain and deport Kenyan activists back into the country, receiving severe backlash over his remarks.
"I will not protest that (Suluhu’s remarks) because I think there is some truth. Let us face a few facts. The level of etiquette, insults, that we see in Kenya, even though we have the freedom of speech, is sometimes going overboard to some extent. She is saying people have sometimes gone to extremes in their utterances in Kenya, which is a fact," Mudavadi stated.
Among those who criticised the Prime CS was Sifuna, who described him as 'useless' for taking Tanzania's side in the matter, stating, "Our Minister for Foreign Affairs taking Tanzania’s side on the deportation of Kenyans is wild. Who put these people in power? Very useless."
On Monday, June 2, Mwangi and Uganda's Agather Atuhaire held a press briefing, narrating the atrocities they endured at the hands of Tanzanian authorities, including sexual assault, further reinvigorating public disdain over Tanzania.
