Did Uganda’s Museveni really threaten war with Kenya over Indian Ocean access?
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has denied claims that he threatened to go to war with Kenya to secure access to the Indian Ocean, calling the reports “false,” “misleading,” and a complete distortion of his remarks.
Speaking to journalists at State Lodge Kityerera in Mayuge District, Museveni said his earlier comments, which he made during a speech in Mbale, were taken out of context after going viral on social media and raising diplomatic concern.
The rumours spread widely on TikTok, X, and Facebook, prompting Kenya’s Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi to travel to Kampala this week to seek clarification. Museveni said he assured the Kenyan official that Uganda was not planning any form of confrontation.
“How can I be hostile to Kenya when I am promoting economic integration?” Museveni said. “When Ugandans produce goods and Kenyans buy them, and vice versa, we all prosper.”
What Museveni actually said in Mbale
The misunderstanding stems from a section of Museveni’s Mbale address in which he discussed long-term regional security planning, not territorial conflict.
He argued that landlocked countries like Uganda face strategic limitations, particularly in building naval capacity, and said political federation within the East African Community (EAC) would allow member states to combine resources and strengthen collective defence.
According to Museveni, this point was twisted into claims that Uganda intended to wage war for sea access. “What I said in Mbale is exactly what I have said here,” he explained. “I spoke about political federation, not hostility to Kenya.”
He added that separate national defence systems within the EAC limit the region’s ability to confront global powers with advanced naval, air, and space capabilities. “Some of the big powers plan to dominate in land forces, air force, navy, and even in space. If they gain overwhelming strength, where does that leave us? How can Uganda build a navy without access to the ocean?” Museveni said.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
