Kenya’s President William Ruto has extended warm congratulations to President Felix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) for securing his reelection.
“Sincere congratulations to my brother His Excellency Felix Tshisekedi, the President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, for a well-deserved victory,” Ruto said on X.
Ruto praised Tshisekedi’s victory, hailing it as a significant milestone in the DRC’s democratic evolution, while expressing a strong desire to fortify the bilateral relationship between Kenya and the DRC for their mutual benefit.
“The election is a milestone in the democratic history of your nation. I look forward to strengthening the Kenya-DRC relations for the mutual benefit of our countries,” he said.
President Tshisekedi was re-elected with over 70% of the vote, according to the country’s election commission, even though the opposition is protesting the results and has called for mobilization against the results exacerbated by reports of election irregularities.
Nevertheless, Ruto’s exchange of pleasantries comes against a backdrop of escalated tensions between Kenya and DRC.
The recent expulsion of Kenyan troops by the DRC government further intensified the strained relationship between the two nations.
This expulsion was followed by the launch of a Congolese rebel alliance in Nairobi, Kenya’s capital. The announcement, orchestrated by Corneille Nangaa, the former head of DR Congo’s electoral body, in collaboration with M23 rebels and other armed groups, aimed to restore peace in the region.
This move not only has strained relations between the DRC and Kenya but also exacerbated tensions between the DRC and the East African Community (EAC).
The Congolese Spokesperson, Patrick Muyaya, raised concerns, asserting, “We cannot understand that a country like Kenya, with which we work closely for the return of peace in the east of the DRC, can harbor subversive activities of this nature. They owe us an explanation.”
Adding to the complexity, the ongoing elections in the DRC have been shrouded in controversy, with allegations of irregularities and questions surrounding the credibility of the electoral process.
The Congolese government’s decision to recall envoys and block EAC observers from monitoring the elections has intensified concerns about the transparency of the polls.
President Ruto, in response to Kinshasa’s demands to arrest the politicians behind the rebel alliance, emphasized democratic principles, stating, “Kenya is a democracy. We cannot arrest anybody who has issued a statement. We do not arrest people for making statements; we arrest criminals.”
As accusations fly and tensions rise, the diplomatic relations between Kenya and the DRC face unprecedented challenges.
The expulsion of Kenyan troops, coupled with the election controversy, adds further strain to the once-stable relationship between the two nations.
The repercussions of these developments remain uncertain, with potential implications for regional relations within the East African Community.
