The cracks in East Africa's fragile unity just got wider. Kampala has barred a former Kenyan minister from entering the country. A man who once brokered peace deals across the region.
Now he is unwelcome. Sources say it is about a leaked memo. A memo that accused the Ugandan president of meddling in Kenya's internal affairs.
The tit-for-tat is escalating. Kenya's foreign office is fuming. Quietly.
They want this kept below the radar. But the British High Commission in Nairobi is watching. Closely.
They have already offered to mediate. A classic Whitehall move. Step in before the fire spreads.
The question is whether either side wants to be seen as weak. Backroom talks are underway. Expect a statement from the FCDO by end of week.
A carefully worded call for restraint. The real game is about influence. China is waiting in the wings.
So is the US. But the British know the history. They wrote the borders.
They know the fault lines.
