BY MANUEL ODENY

A legislator has stirred up a diplomatic row between Kenya and Tanzania after his remarks bordered on leadership and elections in the neighboring country.

Kuria West MP Mathias Robi who is elected under the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) angered the Tanzania government officials and ruling party Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) over his remarks across the border during a social function.

Robi is alleged to have said that Tanzanians do not have a constitution and that is why they will never elect a leader of their choice at the ballot, statement which has elicited anger.

Robi is serving his third term in parliament and since being elected has been ranked continuously as among MPs who have never spoken in parliament, making the recent furor created over him speaking in a foreign country to be more weird.

In Tanzania’s last elections complaints against Robi, who have been doing export and import business across the border, were loud when he was said to be involved in the local politics on the MP seat.

The seat across the border from Kuria West was won by Michael Mwita “Mkogoti’, a CCM MP.

“We could have arrested him on the spot because his statement was treason, but we let him slip back to Kenya because we have good relations with our neighbors and his reckless and alarming statement was his personal views,” Edward Gowele, Mkuu Wa Wilaya Tarime (Like a District Commissioner in Kenya) from Mara province said.

Gowele promised that Robi was still under internal radar and as government they will ensure he never sets foot in the country and repeats similar reckless statements.

Gowele said by saying Tanzania had no constitution and runs bungled elections and is not democratic, Robi insulted their President Samia Suluhu who has a cordial relationship with Tanzania.

“As administrators from across the border we have uttermost respect and we want to tell Robi that if he ever gets and invited to address the public he should watch his mouth and mind statements he makes,” Gowele added.

Mallema Sollo, the Tarime region Secretary of Ideology and Publicity at CCM said as local leaders they know Robi has been running his businesses across the two country and made most of his money from Tanzania.

“Mathias said he was doing business in Tanzania, let him know that the same good constitution which provided him with environment to thrive and the same government he insulted will not tolerate him,” Sollo said.

He called on Robi to desist from interfering with Tanzania and antagonizing Tanzania elected leaders insisting their legislators Mkogoti was firmly elected and was doing his duties to voters.

“As a party we condemn Robi as an individual, his reckless statement is his personal opinion which we will never but it on other Kenyans, he will have to carry his own personal cross,” Sollo added.

The two were speaking during interviewed aired on YouTube and have since trended across Tanzania and Kenya social media pages.

Tanzanians said it was unfortunate for Robi to make the reckless statement when Kenya is known for having electoral violence after each election while they are peaceful after theirs.