Kenya's foreign minister is in Dubai to defuse a row after members of the Gulf state's ruling family were deported as terror suspects.
The four were on holiday from Dubai in Kenya's resort of Mombasa over Easter, when immigration officers interrogated them for hours before expelling them.
The United Arab Emirates responded by tightening visa requirements - and only accepts Kenyan university graduates. The ban has hit many traders, who usually buy their goods from Dubai.
The BBC's Ruth Nesoba in Nairobi says second-hand cars and fabrics from Dubai are particularly popular with Kenyan businessmen.
Kenyan Foreign Minister Moses Wetangula and his delegation of officials arrived in the UAE on Monday but the talks were deadlocked and so they have been extended.
Last week, deputy foreign minister Richard Onyonka apologised on the BBC's Swahili service for the "stupid mistake" of the officials.
Kenya's Standard newspaper reports that some 37,000 Kenyans live in the UAE, mostly Dubai.
4 comments:
This is a message to the Sheikh of Abudhabi and Dubai.
I am a young Kenyan woman and greateful for the opportunity that your government has given me and my fellow Kenyans to work in your country. But i feel sad that my brothers and sisters at home are being denied to come to Dubai over the mistake of the silly incompetent officials in Kenya who held some Arabs when they came to Kenya. While i am not the one who did it, i want to apologize oon behalf of the incompetent officials.
I understand your wrath and anger, but your highness, the common man is the one who is suffering here. The common man again has to go through the same torture your family went through, and it is worse since they are tortured by their countrymen in the name of police. The common man is again suffering from your fury.
Please find it in your heart to forgive us and keep in mind that most people in kenya suffering no more agree wiith the officals as much as you do.
Kenyans are peaceloving citizens and friendly too.
God bless you as we continue to look for a solution to this problem. Thank you.
Greetings your Highness.
I am a young Kenyan running a business in Kenya. i have been sourcing goods from Dubai. at the beginning of this year i enrolled for a degree program because my business was doing well and now can pay my university fee. Your Highness i understand the reasoning behind the new requirements but this not only puts my pursuit for Higher education in jeopardy because my business will fail but it also denies my young son who is only 2yrs a good life and toys that i could buy him while visiting your lovely country. Please find it in your heart to sympathize with others like me, who in their simple way and hard work are making right the wrongs the nation and its evil leadership did to them. WE as Kenyans apologize to your people for what happened.
Tears are rolling down my eyes!
Why is the Kenya government not taking any action on the perpetrators who caused all the inconvenience and the loss of revenue to our economy....I believe the people involved in the interrogation and deportation of the members of the Royal family should pay the price and be taught a lesson so that this does not happen again.
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