Uganda congratulates Kibaki
2008-01-03 10:47
Kampala - Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has sent congratulations to President Mwai Kibaki on his disputed re-election, in the first endorsement by a fellow African leader.
The silence by most African leaders after Kibaki was declared the election winner had underlined concerns over alleged rigging in the vote, which had been followed by a week of violence.
"President Museveni telephoned President Kibaki to congratulate him on his re-election as president," said a statement by a spokesperson for Museveni, who had been in power since 1986 and himself won an election marred by fraud claims in 2005.
The only other nation to congratulate Kibaki had been the United States - within hours of his swearing-in on Sunday. But US officials had since expressed concerns at election violence and irregularities in the Kenyan vote count.
Uganda's military spokesperson Major Felix Kulayigye said soldiers had been deployed heavily on the border with Kenya "to avoid violence spilling over".
About 1 000 Kenyan refugees had already crossed as the death toll from post-election violence passes 300, according to human rights groups.
Disaster Preparedness Minister Musa Ecweru said: "The government and the International Red Cross have moved in to make sure these people are sheltered well, but for now they are in schools and churches."