William Ruto Apologises to Tanzania after Deportation Row: "If We've Wronged You, We Apologise"

• President William Ruto apologised to Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu over the deportation of Kenyan activists, seeking to ease diplomatic tensions
• He called for forgiveness and mutual understanding among Kenya’s neighbours, including Uganda, emphasising unity over blame
• Ruto urged Kenyans and regional partners to focus on progress and rebuilding relationships rather than dwelling on past missteps
• The president’s message at the National Prayer Breakfast highlighted a commitment to renewed cooperation and regional stability

Didacus Malowa, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings over three years of experience covering politics and current affairs in Kenya.

Nairobi - President William Ruto has broken his silence on the tense diplomatic situation following the deportation of Kenyan activists and leaders from Tanzania.

During the 2025 National Prayer Breakfast on Wednesday, May 28, the president took a conciliatory tone, extending an apology to Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu and appealing for renewed unity and collaboration between the two countries.

The deportation incident had threatened to strain the historically close relationship between Kenya and Tanzania.

What was Ruto's message to Tanzania?

Ruto’s address was grounded in themes of forgiveness, national unity, and forward-looking optimism.

He opened with a call for gratitude and mutual understanding, saying that true progress requires appreciating what has been achieved rather than focusing on fault-finding.

More importantly, the president did not shy away from acknowledging the diplomatic tension directly.

Ruto extended his message beyond Tanzania, including Kenya’s neighbours in Uganda and even addressing Kenyans for any internal missteps.

"Our neighbours from Tanzania, if we have wronged you in any way, forgive us. Our friends from Uganda, if there is anything that Kenyans have done that's not right, we want to apologize if there is anything. To our children, if there is any misstep, we apologise.

"To our neighbours, if there is any misstep that we have done, you know, we want to build the relationship that will make our country great and will take us forward," Ruto stated.

How did Kenya make Tanzanian MPs feel welcome?

In a gesture aimed at fostering regional unity, Kenyan lawmakers extended an invitation to their Tanzanian counterparts to participate in the National Prayer Breakfast.

This comes days after Tanzanian MPs openly criticised Kenya during a parliamentary session, following the detention and deportation of Senior Counsel Martha Karua, activist Boniface Mwangi, and Ugandan Agather Atuhaire.

During the breakfast, South Mugirango MP Silvanus Osoro took the lead in a Kiswahili chorus, inviting Tanzanian legislators to join the performance.

He highlighted that they had rehearsed the song together the previous evening, emphasising the camaraderie between the two delegations.

Osoro acknowledged the presence of a significant delegation from Tanzania and Uganda, expressing particular appreciation for the Tanzanian MPs who participated in the joint rehearsal.

"We are privileged to be joined by the Members of Parliament and a huge delegation from Tanzania and Uganda. However, I am very specific on Tanzania because Your Excellency, we did practise with them the song that we are going to sing from around 10:30 pm. So allow me, with tremendous respect, to invite the Tanzanian delegation to join us on this stage for this Swahili song that we are going to sing. Ndio hao wanakuja, makofi kwao," Osoro said.

Kenyans unearth details of Tanzanian MPs

Tanzanian lawmakers who criticised Kenya in their submissions tasted the wrath of aggrieved Kenyan Gen Zs, who unearthed their background details and even accessed private information, including mobile numbers.

In screenshots that were shared online, Geita MP Joseph Musukuma and Jesca Msambatavangu (Iringa Central) were the most trolled lawmakers.

Musukuma's level of education was questioned after details from the Tanzanian parliamentary website showed that he only possessed a primary school certificate.

What did Edwin Sifuna promise Tanzanian MPs?

Nairobi senator Edwin Sifuna was rattled by harsh sentiments uttered by a section of Tanzanian MPs directed at Kenyan activists who were detained and deported to the country.

In response, Sifuna vowed to move the Senate to discuss the conduct of their Tanzanian counterparts in Swahili so they could understand Kenyans better.

However, Sifuna's motion was not approved for discussion on Tuesday, May 28, as there were other urgent matters to discuss.

He regretted the Speaker's decision, but proceeded to debate in Swahili, as he had promised via his social media pages.

Masolo Mabonga, HOD Politics and Current Affairs, updated this article with details on Kenyans unearthing details of Tanzanian MPs

Proofreading by Mercy Nyambura, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.

Source: TUKO.co.ke