Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Musalia Mudavadi, has visited Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni to reinforce the strong friendship between Kenya and Uganda, especially at a time when there are rising concerns over Museveni’s recent comments about access to the Indian Ocean.
The high-level meeting took place on Thursday, November 20, at Mayuge State Lounge in Uganda. It was attended by several leaders, including Kenya’s High Commissioner to Uganda, Joash Maangi.
During the talks, Kenya once again confirmed its full support for the East African Community (EAC) vision of deeper regional integration and cooperation.
According to a statement released by Mudavadi’s office, both countries expressed their commitment to strengthening regional unity and working toward a peaceful, secure, and prosperous East Africa built on political, economic, and social collaboration.
The statement stressed that the EAC idea is not only about trade, but also about building lasting stability and strong partnerships among member states.
Mudavadi also highlighted that President William Ruto and President Museveni share a common goal of protecting the interests of their nations while maintaining peace in the region. “Presidents William Ruto and Museveni will continue building bridges that benefit citizens of both nations,” the statement posted on social media read. The two leaders also explored other important bilateral and regional issues affecting both countries.
This meeting came shortly after President Museveni made bold remarks in a media interview, suggesting that a conflict could emerge if landlocked Uganda continued facing obstacles in accessing the Indian Ocean.
He stressed that Uganda’s economic future depends heavily on access to trade routes, questioning how the country could expand exports without a clear path to the sea.
“That is why we have had endless discussions with Kenya. We discuss the railway and the pipeline, but that ocean belongs to me. I am entitled to that ocean.
In the future, we are going to have wars,” Museveni said during the interview, comments that quickly sparked debate across the region.
Following the controversial remarks, the Kenyan government issued a clarifying statement, urging the public not to interpret Museveni’s comments literally.
Officials explained that his message focused on the need for long-term solutions regarding Uganda’s access to trade infrastructure, rather than a threat of actual conflict.
Mudavadi later reassured Kenyans and the region that relations between the two countries remain stable. “I want to assure you that we are not going to go to war, and we as a country have always, since time immemorial, provided safe passage and free passage for goods from landlocked countries,” he said in a statement released on November 20.
The visit to Uganda was therefore seen as a strategic step to ease tensions, strengthen diplomatic ties, and ensure that both countries continue working closely on shared economic and security interests.
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