By Xinhua
Nairobi : A diplomatic spat has broken out between Kenya and Britain after the latter refused to recognise Mwai Kibaki as the president of the east African nation.
The latest diplomatic row was sparked by remarks attributed to the British High Commissioner Adam Wood who maintained that his country still does not recognise President Kibaki as legitimately elected.
The high commissioner said the east African nation’s government, as currently constituted, didn’t reflect the wishes of Kenyans.
“Our pledge is to recognise states not governments. This has also been expressed by other British ministers. But given the irregularities reported by observers around the presidential elections, we do not recognise the Kenyan government as representing the will of Kenyan people,” Wood told television station KTN late Tuesday.
The remarks drew ire of Kenya’s Foreign Minister Moses Wetangula who said Nairobi would not tolerate such provocations any further and hinted that it would take “remedial measures” against Wood over his remarks.
Wetangula said the comments were “unwarranted” noting that the east African nation is a sovereign state and does not require elections approval from Britain.
Wetangula said the British envoy’s remarks were in total “disregard of diplomatic protocol.”
“While we have acted with restraint, continued provocation will not be tolerated further and the government will not hesitate to take appropriate remedial measures,” the minister warned in a statement.
He said the government, as currently constituted, didn’t need a stamp from the British authorities to reflect the will of Kenyans.
More than 1,000 people were killed in riots and tribal killings following the announcement of Kibaki’s re-election amid international concerns over flaws in the vote tallying.
Some 600,000 people have had to flee their homes since the violence erupted, prompting an unprecedented humanitarian crisis in a country more accustomed to sheltering refugees from neighbouring, strife-torn states.