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President William Ruto says Kenya rejected a request by Kinshasa to arrest Democratic Republic of Congo’s opposition figures, breaking his silence on the diplomatic tiff, after the central African country recalled its ambassador.

The diplomatic row started when DRC opposition leaders launched a party in Nairobi on Friday. The Congo River Alliance, which includes former DRC election commissioner Corneille Nangaa and groups such as the M23 rebels.

Speaking in a national broadcast aired Sunday, Ruto disclosed that President Félix Tshisekedi’s government asked Kenya to arrest the DRC politicians. However, the request was turned down.

“We are a democratic country and nobody has to ask the government for permission to issue a statement- that is what democracy is all about.
I told them (DRC) that we cannot arrest anybody who issues a statement. We arrest criminals.”