The Ugandan government has strongly condemned the destruction of the Uganda house in Kenya, which doubles as the Uganda embassy building, which was set on fire by rioters during the violent protests on Tuesday, June 25, 2024.
According to a statement released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on June 26, 2024, although the government of the Republic of Uganda continues to have a solid relationship with Kenya, they only support peaceful demonstrations as a democratic right.
“We condemn, in the strongest terms, violence that leads to the destruction of property and the loss of lives. We therefore call for calm and discourage unnecessary, unhelpful speculation and premature conclusions to allow for investigations into the matter,” the statement read in part.
This statement was in response to protests in Kenya on June 25, 2024, where the protestors are said to have abandoned peaceful demonstrations and took the path of destruction of properties, wherein the newly refurbished Uganda House, a commercial building located on Kenyatta Avenue in the Nairobi Central Business District, was vandalised and set ablaze.
The 6-floor Uganda House building, which was slated for reopening this Friday, June 28, 2024, has been undergoing renovations and was only occupied by commercial tenants on the ground floor.
The other floors, including the Third Floor, which previously housed the Consular Office, had been vacated to allow for renovations.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has continued to stress that the destruction of the Uganda house will not have an impact on the relationship between the two countries and has extended its appreciation to the Kenyan fire department for putting out the fire.
“Whereas we regret the said incident that led to the destruction of the property, we commend the Nairobi Fire Department for putting out the fire,” the Foreign Ministry wrote.
The statement added, “While there is extensive damage to the property, we are grateful that there have been no reported fatalities or serious injuries that have been identified so far. It is also important to note that none of the diplomatic or consular staff were in the building at the time the fire broke out.”
Rioters also stormed the parliament building and set parts of it on fire as lawmakers were inside, passing the Finance Tax Bill, which introduces higher taxes.
Although there is no official statement from the Kenyan government regarding the damage to the Uganda House, President William Ruto has condemned the destruction that was done at the parliament building as treason.
