A Kenyan legislator is reported to have escaped arrest on Monday evening in Uganda after police found her campaigning and recruiting voters in the country.

Bukedi regional police spokesperson Sowali Kamulya confirmed the incident, saying the Teso South MP Mary Emaase was found lobbying in Amagoro village in the eastern border district of Busia.

“You can’t cross from Kenya to Uganda purposely to campaign and recruit voters in a foreign country, which is illegal.

“Police got information that she was campaigning in that area but as soon as she sighted them, she managed to escape back to Kenya but police managed to arrest her bodyguard,” said Mr Kamulya.

Mr Kamulya identified the bodyguard as No 86019 PC Geoffrey Atwaine. He said the officer is being detained by Uganda's Busia police after they disarmed him. He is said to have had a pistol and two magazines with 28 rounds of ammunition.

'Propaganda'

But in Parliament in Nairobi on Tuesday, Ms Emaase denied the allegations that she faced arrest in Uganda, calling the claims "mere propaganda".

“What you have heard on social media is mere propaganda,” she said while contributing to proceedings in the National Assembly.

The Ugandan government on Tuesday said its had agreed to release the MP’s bodyguard, who had crossed into that country while armed with a weapon.

However, Busia-Uganda resident district commissioner Hussein Matanda and John Chelimo, the Busia-Kenya County Commissioner, gave a different account of the arrest.

They said the bodyguard was arrested in Amagoro village in Uganda where he had accompanied the MP, who had gone to visit her relatives.

Mr Matanda said the bodyguard was arrested after he was found with a firearm.

“We remained with the bodyguard who is in our custody, but we are going to release him today,” he said.

Mr Chelimo said the security officer crossed into Uganda through an ungazetted route and had no place to surrender or keep the firearm before entering the country.

He also refuted claims that the MP had gone into Uganda to woo citizens to register as voters in order to vote for her during August 8 polls.

The two security official were speaking to the press after holding a joint closed-door meeting at the immigration offices in Busia.

They warned traders and citizens of the two countries that those who will be found trespassing the border will be arrested.

“Anybody found using ungazetted routes will be arrested because they are supposed to use only designated border entries, said Mr Chelimo.