Category: National News

Kabuga may sour Rwanda-EAC relations -Kenyan envoy

By: Patrick Bigabo

The Kenyan Ambassador to Rwanda H.E. Ketter Alex has expressed concern that the unresolved issue involving Felicien Kabuga wanted for charges in the Rwandan 1994 genocide and subsequent crimes against humanity might ruin the general cooperation between Rwanda and the East African Community.

Amb.Ketter told Business Daily September 11, the Kenya “government is highly collaborating with ICTR in round-the-clock man hunt for Kabuga and finally solve the matter”. Kabuga is among the notorious genocide criminals wanted by both Rwanda government and International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, ICTR

However, Amb. Ketter noted that Kabuga is not a simple man since he is alleged to have a network of highly paid informers that diffuse any attempts to have their ‘master’ nabbed from wherever he is hiding in Kenya. Unconfirmed reports circulating in the East African region indicate that the ridiculously rich Kabuga has employed hit men and sometimes uses money to buy off detectives who attempt to reach him.

Also the Kenyan government has for long been criticized by several sections of both regional and international community for failure to trap the genocide fugitive and hand him over to ICTR or his repatriation to Rwanda in the ‘Never Again’ initiative which advocates for making sure genocide never happens again anywhere in the world and the subsequent collaboration by nations in handing over genocide fugitives to ICTR.

Meanwhile Amb.Ketter told Business Daily that economic integration is top priority and it is the basis with which Rwanda and Burundi are being considered before joining the predominantly English speaking regional bloc before the end of the year.

“Forget about those heckling about the delay for admission of Rwanda and Burundi into the vast east African economic bloc. It’s not about politics. The current phase is about harmonizing economic standards and political standards shall be discussed later,” Ketter told this reporter at Kenya embassy.

Amb.Ketter said Rwanda and Burundi have had to adopt the accepted East African standard of reading their financial budgets between June and July among other demands like harmonizing the customs standards.

Ketter further explained there is an agreed upon roadmap clearly outlining modalities under which the two French speaking countries, Rwanda and Burundi shall join the larger EAC bloc, “the EAC technical team are in the country to lay final touches on the matter and see to it that Rwanda and Burundi join EAC before the year ends,” he said.

The EAC business council team is in the country to obtain satisfaction on various ingredients required of Rwanda and Burundi ahead of their joining the economically powerful East Africa which has recently been described by the international community as an ideal investment destination.

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