Kenya has strongly hit back at the government of Sudan following fresh accusations by the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) alleging Nairobi's interference in Khartoum’s internal affairs.
In a statement issued by the Office of the Prime Cabinet Secretary, Musalia Mudavadi and signed by Strategic Communication Secretary Peter Warutere, Kenya termed the claims unsubstantiated, regrettable, and inconsistent with the principles of good neighbourliness and mutual respect.
The Kenyan government warned that such reckless accusations risk destabilising the region and undermining the Pan-African fraternity that binds states across the continent.
''Kenya considers the continued and unsubstantiated allegations by the SAF administration to be not only regrettable but also inconsistent with the principles of good neighbourliness and mutual respect that underpin the Charter of the United Nations and the Constitutive Act of the African Union. Such reckless actions risk undermining regional peace and stability and are unbecoming of the fraternal Pan-African relations traditionally shared among states in the region,'' the statement read in part.
The diplomatic row escalated after Sudan, on Monday, called on President William Ruto’s administration to halt all alleged support to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia and to respect the sovereignty of other nations. Sudan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs further urged Kenya to abide by the United Nations Charter, particularly on the principle of non-interference and the promotion of international peace and security.
Meanwhile, Kenya stated that it has maintained a consistent and principled position on the conflict in Sudan, asserting that it firmly supports the sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity of the neighbouring nation.
''We advocate for an inclusive, Sudanese-led and Sudanese-owned political process as the best viable path towards sustainable peace. While the support of regional and international partners is important, the responsibility for charting Sudan's future ultimately rests with the Sudanese people,'' it added.
At the same time, the government urged its Sudanese counterparts to focus on alleviating the suffering of the Sudanese people. It called on all parties to the conflict to take full responsibility and commit to restoring civilian rule, peace, and security for the benefit of both the Sudanese population and the broader region.
Further, the government slammed the SAF over what it termed as persistent and unfounded false claims aimed at deflecting internal challenges by generating external tensions in the hope of rallying domestic support.
''The persistent and unfounded false claims by SAF on Kenya appear to reflect an outdated strategy of deflecting internal challenges by generating external tensions in the hope of rallying domestic support. As often observed, the most difficult but necessary journey is the one within. We therefore urge the SAF to focus on internal stability, rather than expending scarce resources and energy on imagined external adversaries,'' it added.
The current standoff stems from an exposé by NTV, which claimed that weapons bearing Kenyan markings were found in a warehouse in Sudan.
However, on June 16, the Kenyan government denied supplying any arms used in the ongoing hostilities, distancing itself from the allegations and dismissing the report as misleading and unverified.
Government Spokesperson Isaac Mwaura dismissed claims that Kenya supplied illicit weapons to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), stating that the country’s role in Sudan is strictly limited to humanitarian assistance and support for peace processes.
''Kenya is supporting the peace process through IGAD. Any other assertion is mere conjecture. We have no business with the claims being made out there,'' he said.
