Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna and Ugandan opposition politician Robert Ssentamu Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine have been denied entry into Angola.
Sifuna in a statement on Thursday, March 13 said that they were denied entry by the Angolan authorities despite having received an official invitation by the Office of the President of the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA).
“UNITA President Adalberto Costa invited us to Angola. The Government has denied us entry!” he said.
The lawmaker who also doubles up as the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Party Secretary General went ahead to attach an official communication by UNITA signed by Chief of Staff Lucas Tomás Nhanyula addressed to the Director of Migration and Foreign services.
Sifuna and Bobi Wine invited into Angola
In the letter seen by The Kenya Times, the Director of Migration and Foreign services was informed about the scheduled entry into the country of Sifuna, Bobi Wine and other politicians and activists.
They included that Sharif Ssenyonjo of Uganda, Cirino Hiteng Ofuho of Kenya, Oleksandr Omelchuk and Andriy Marasin (both from Ukraine) and Merera Gudina of Ethiopia.
“They will enter the country tomorrow, March 13, 2025, at 4 de Fevereiro International Airport. The Office of the President of UNITA declares that it is responsible for their stay in Angola,” the letter added.
“In anticipation of the best possible reception this matter may deserve, we reiterate to the Immigration and Foreigners Services, the assurances of our highest esteem and consideration.”
Also Read: Parliament Clarifies Vetting of Matiang’i, Sifuna and Muhoho Kenyatta
UNITA is the second-largest political party in Angola which was founded in 1966 by Jonas Savimbi as a nationalist movement fighting for independence from Portuguese colonial rule.
Following the death of Savimbi in 2002 and the end of the Angolan civil war, UNITA transitioned into a political party.
It has since remained the country’s primary opposition force, advocating for democratic reforms, economic development and political change.
It is however not clear why the politicians and activists were denied entry into the Southern African country despite am official invitation from UNITA.
The incident comes months after President Samia Suluhu Hassan blocked Embakasi East Member of Parliament (MP) Babu Owino from entering Tanzania.
Suluhu Blocks Babu Owino from Entering Tanzania
In a letter dated February 3, the MP Owino formally wrote to President Suluhu Hassan through the country’s ambassador in Kenya seeking clarification on why he was denied entry into the East African country.
According to the parliamentarian, he was detained at Dar es Salaam’s Julius Nyerere International Airport in December 2024.
Also Read: Suluhu Blocks Babu Owino from Entering Tanzania
Babu in his letter stated that upon arrival at the airport, immigration officials rejected his passport and informed him that he had been declared persona non grata in Tanzania.
“I write to bring to your attention that when I recently visited Tanzania in December 2024 upon arrival at the airport in Dar es Salaam, your immigration officers rejected my passport and casually informed me that I am on the list of persona non grata in Tanzania.
“In total violation of my rights to freedom of movement, they detained me for some time at Julius Nyerere International Airport,” wrote the MP.
The lawmaker further expressed concern over what he said was a violation of his right to free movement, as stated in international agreements and the East African Community (EAC) Treaty.
He in turn requested a formal explanation regarding the reasons behind his entry ban, particularly considering his official duties, business engagements, and longstanding ties with the people of Tanzania.
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