Kenya on early Saturday morning proved to Uganda that it also has got teeth after it arrested four Uganda Police Force (UPF) officers who had entered the country illegally while armed.
The four officers were being held at the Busia Police Station and were only freed following a meeting between officers from UPF and those from the Kenya Police Service led by Commissioner Jacob Narengo, Citizen Digital reports.
Kenyan police officers had reportedly been trailing a lorry believed to be carrying used car batteries from Uganda.
The lorry, registration number UP 5615, is said to have used the Alupe route and on reaching a roadblock at around midnight Friday, the Uganda officers were arrested.
Ugandan military officers have for a long time been a thorn in the flesh of the disputed Migingo island residents where they not only harass residents, but also arrest Kenyan police officers sent there to maintain law and order.
Kenya has never sent her military officers to Migingo leaving many wondering whether Kenya fears its militarily weaker neighbour.
In March, the two countries agreed to end hostilities at the common border through a bilateral agreement.
During an inter-ministerial meeting between the two countries ministers in charge of fisheries in the two countries have resolved to solve the Migingo Island stalemate among other issues by March 15, 2019.
Other issues that were discussed included trade, movement of people across the border and relationship between border communities.
“We looked at how we should strengthen relationship between the two countries in terms of culture and trade and how to make our people be able to move freely as envisaged by the common market protocol to ensure that in business that there are no hindrances to trade,” said Dr Susan Koech, the Principal Secretary, Ministry of the East African Community and Regional Development. She said that the two countries are working to eliminate non-tariff barriers.
A consultation forum between communities living in Kenya and Uganda in Busia will be conducted during the meeting, said Ms Mwanje.
Kenyans at Migingo Island have previously complained about harassment by Ugandan security personnel. However, Uganda is one of the biggest trade partners of Kenya.