Kenyan President William Ruto has publicly apologized to Tanzania following days of tension between the neighboring countries, sparked by the detention and deportation of prominent East African activists.
The diplomatic row began when Tanzanian authorities detained and deported activists who had traveled to the country to attend the trial of opposition leader Tundu Lissu, with some alleging they were held incommunicado and tortured.
Ruto extended an olive branch to Tanzania during a national prayer breakfast, saying “if we have wronged you in any way, forgive us” and adding that “if there is anything that Kenyans have done that is not right, we want to apologize.”
The apology comes after Tanzanian MPs accused Kenyans of cyberbullying and disrespecting Tanzanian sovereignty, and follows a heated online debate between social media users from both countries.
