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Businessman drags Kenyan MPs to regional court over Ruto utterances
Lawyers have sought to challenge the Kenyan MPs’ comments
A Ugandan Business man Dr. Paul Bamutuze, has dragged a section of Kenyan Members of Parliament particularly those subscribing to the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) to the East African Court of Justice (EACJ) over there utterances towards Uganda, president Museveni and the National Resistance Movement (NRM).
Through his attorneys of Nsubuga K.S & Co. Advocates in a case filed Friday August 6, 2021, Bamutaze says the Kenyan MPs demeaned the NRM, saying nothing from Uganda is worthy borrowing.
“The statements are demeaning. Uganda has been at the forefront of the East African Integration and utterances are a clear sign that these legislators are against the integration process,” his lawyers said.
On Wednesday this week, Kenyan Members of Parliament claimed their Deputy President William Ruto wanted to import the NRM culture and Museveni’s ‘dictatorial’ leadership to Kenya.
These said the NRM has a bad record of human rights violation, clamping on civil society organizations, opposition politicians.
“The NRM record on human rights is not worth borrowing from. The NRM record on democracy is not worth borrowing… even worse, the NRM is a party of lifetime presidency,” Junet read a joint statement by the MPs, terming Ruto’s recent travel embarrassment a “sympathy seeking circus”.
National Assembly Minority leader John Mbadi and Minority chief whip Junet Mohamed, also questioned Ruto’s frequent visits to Kampala and his private meetings with President Museveni.
“While we do not wish to interfere with internal political arrangements in other countries, we equally want to state that we do not need to borrow from other countries political habits whose end result can only lead to chaos and backwardness of our country, ” Junet said
“NRM is a party that has kept someone in power for 35 years,” added Junet.
The lawyers also claim that statements are a direct infringement on the fundamental and operational principles of the Community which include good governance as well as adherence to principles of democracy.
Batamuze further states that the statements have a higher impact on the country and people dealing with Ugandans since they will be looked at as hum an rights violators, hostile people and businessmen across and beyond the region.
He asked the regional court to declare the said statements illegal and against principles of mutual cooperation and good governance, and for the respondents to pay him costs.
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