He apologized to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for saying the Central African country has no cows.
In a statement, Odinga expressed his disappointment at Ruto’s words, calling them “a manifestation of a reckless lack of vision and foresight, a sad failure to recognize where Kenya’s prospects exist.”
“The DP’s attack was unjustified and short-sighted.”
He must accept responsibility and apologize to the Congolese government and people,” he said.
Ruto made the remarks on Monday during a tour of Nyeri County where he indicated that DRC had no single cow and Kenya could commit to selling them milk.
The former Prime Minister noted that it was unfortunate that President Uhuru Kenyatta had invested heavily in building a stronger partnership with DRC while his deputy had resorted to straining the two countries bilateral ties.
“Personally I reserve great respect and admiration for the people of the DRC for their resilience and determination that has seen them keep their country going despite significant political and economic instability that erupted soon after independence,” he said.
Odinga cited the 2021 signed agreement that saw the two nations commit towards promoting economic, technical, scientific and socio-cultural cooperation on the basis of the principles of sovereign equality and mutual benefit.
“With the agreement we are looking forward to very strong ties in the fields of trade, agriculture, livestock development and fisheries, finance, environmental conservation, education, mining among other areas for the benefit of our people,” he said.
The government has since affirmed Kenya’s commitment to a respectful relationship with DRC following Ruto’s remarks which continue to elicit mixed reactions.
Kenya’s Ambassador to DRC George Masafu in a statement committed to encourage a strong partnership between the two countries especially during this period when DRC is preparing to join the East African Community block.
“The Kenya Embassy wishes to reaffirm that Kenya’s government and people have a long and respected history with the government and people of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
“Our friendship dates back to our respective countries’ independence,” he said.
Masafu stated that Kenya is dedicated to promoting cooperation between the two nations, particularly at this time when the DRC is preparing to join the East African Community.
“Kenya is optimistic that these ties would be strengthened through government-to-government frameworks and people-to-people collaborations established in recent years,” he said.
