KENYAN Prime Minister Raila  Odinga has called for an end to harassment and arbitrary arrests of women and other small traders at Busia and Malaba border towns.

He criticised Kenyan and Ugandan custom officials for the act, saying it was against the principles and spirit of the East African cooperation.

"Local traders have been forced to cross into Uganda to buy commodities like maize, which was scarce in Kenya but they are subjected to untold suffering by customs officials and the Police," said the premier.

Odinga was yesterday addressing hundreds of his party, the Orange Democratic Movement supporters at Ojaamong Primary School in Teso district near Busia border.

This was during the home-coming of Sospeter Ojaamong, area MP and assistant labour minister.

Labour minister and Turkana MP, John Munyes claimed that Ugandan soldiers on Friday drove away many cattle from his area.

However, the minister did not substantiate his claims and efforts by journalists for clarification proved futile as he boarded a helicopter soon afterwards.

Meanwhile, Odinga repeated his earlier advice to men circumcise to lessen the risk of getting infected with HIV/AIDS.

He said he would mobilise his Luo people, the Iteso and Turkana, to embrace male circumcision to rescue them from imminent extinction due to AIDS.