DRC ambassador Francine Muyumba demands William Ruto to recant statement

Congolese Senator, Amb. Francine Muyumba has criticised Deputy President William Ruto for claiming that the Democratic Republic of Congo had no cows to supply the Central African country with milk.

Dr Ruto made the remarks on Monday February 14, during a campaign meeting in Nyeri County where he attempted to illustrate to his supporters that Kenya’s agricultural produce has a ready market abroad.

“There is a market in DRC which has a population of 90 million people and no single cow,” the DP alleged.

In a rebuttal, Amb. Muyumba said the deputy president’s remarks were ill-advised and an insult to the country.

“Vice President William Ruto, this is really unacceptable, with all due respect there is a need to withdraw this statement. If DRC did not have a single cow how could Kenya sign economic deals with DRC, Equity BCDC is currently making money in Congo, this is an insult,” she defended her country.

Calls for DP Ruto to recant statement on DRC

The diplomat also threatened that Kenya's silence and perceived indifference to DP Ruto’s remarks would muddy the relationship between the two countries.

“Kenya needs the region and the region needs Kenya, together we are strong. Kenya as a country needs to stand against this statement officially, in order to protect the friendship we enjoy between our countries. As we wait for our government to act, we are ready to take parliamentary actions,” the Senator added.

By the time of publishing, neither the deputy president or Kenya’s foreign office had responded to the concerns raised by the DRC state official.

During the campaign meeting, DP Ruto also insisted that Kenya would pay its debt obligations to China by finding an export market for avocados.

"In China, an avocado that is sold at Sh20 here is sold at Sh150 while in Europe, it is Sh128 (one Euro), we must open that market.

“Opening the Chinese market will be easier because we already owe the Chinese hundreds of billions in loans. We will tell them that there is no other way to pay off the debt, take these avocados at this cost, and we will pay the debt quickly," Ruto said.