First Deputy Prime Minister Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga/ HANDOUTUganda has warned its citizens against crossing into Kenya to participate in political or electoral activities ahead of the 2027 General Election.
First Deputy Prime Minister Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga said the government had directed security agencies and local leaders in areas bordering Kenya to closely monitor the situation and prevent Ugandan citizens from becoming involved in Kenya's electoral affairs.
Kadaga spoke on Wednesday, while addressing the media in Kampala on matters concerning Uganda's security and regional relations.
Her remarks followed reports that some Ugandan nationals living along the Kenya-Uganda border were acquiring Kenyan identification documents and being registered as voters ahead of the 2027 polls.
The allegations have also been raised in Kenya, where the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission has rejected claims of an organised scheme to register foreign nationals.
Kadaga said Uganda did not want to interfere in Kenya's electoral process and maintained that the country respected Kenya's sovereignty.
"As a country, we respect the sovereignty of Kenya, and we also expect to respect our sovereignty and the democratic processes going on in each country," Kadaga said.
She said it was contrary to the principles of good neighbourliness for Ugandan institutions or officials to participate in the electoral affairs of another sovereign state.
"We therefore distance ourselves from any conduct that has been undertaken by individuals outside the law," she said.
Kadaga said Uganda was ready to work with Kenya through diplomatic, immigration, security and electoral channels to establish the facts and ensure that anyone found to have acted unlawfully was dealt with according to the law.
She directed security agencies and local leaders in eight districts to take a coordinated interest in the matter.
"They should ensure that Uganda's citizens within those boundaries do not cross into Kenya or otherwise involve themselves in political electoral activities in the Republic of Kenya," Kadaga said.
She also addressed the question of citizens holding allegiance to both countries, saying a person could not simultaneously be a citizen of Kenya and Uganda for purposes of participating in the two countries' electoral processes.
"You cannot be a citizen of Kenya and Uganda; there is nothing like dual citizenship on this matter, and therefore it is ruled out," she said.
The issue comes as Kenya prepares for the August 10, 2027 General Election, with the integrity of the voters' register becoming a subject of public debate.
The IEBC has maintained that the ongoing voter registration exercise is lawful and has urged anyone with evidence of malpractice to submit it to the commission for investigation.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has also previously said efforts to facilitate identification and voter registration are intended for eligible Kenyan citizens living in neighbouring countries and not foreign nationals.
Ugandan authorities have meanwhile cautioned against allowing the electoral dispute to disrupt legitimate movement between the two countries, whose border communities have longstanding family, cultural and commercial ties.
Kadaga said Uganda would continue to respect Kenya's sovereignty while addressing any concerns through established diplomatic and institutional channels.
