- Kenya responds cautiously to Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni’s claim on entitlement to the Indian Ocean.
- Foreign Affairs PS Korir Sing’Oei emphasises respect for sovereignty and natural resources.
- Museveni’s remarks compared Uganda’s situation to being trapped in a “block of flats.”
- Kenya prefers restraint despite the historical and diplomatic sensitivity of the issue.
Kenya has downplayed comments made by Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, suggesting that Uganda is entitled to access the Indian Ocean.
Speaking on Wednesday, Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’Oei said Nairobi trusts Museveni “understands matters of sovereignty and natural resources.”
Dr Sing’Oei made the remarks during a quarterly foreign policy update at the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs in Nairobi, addressing questions from journalists.
Earlier this week, speaking on a radio show at Mbale State Lodge, Museveni warned that future conflicts could arise if Uganda’s access to the Indian Ocean, which he called vital for “strategic defence and economic development”, is blocked.
He likened Uganda’s situation to being “trapped inside a block of flats,” arguing:
“How can you say you are in a block of flats, that the compound belongs only to the flats on the ground floor? That compound belongs to the whole block. All the flats are entitled to the compound. So, for me, I say this is madness.”
He added:
“Where is my ocean? My ocean is the Indian Ocean. No! It belongs to all of us.”
Museveni’s comments have stirred concern in Nairobi and across the East African region, with analysts describing them as a mix of historical frustration and political theatre.
While Uganda heavily relies on Kenya’s Mombasa Port for trade, it has occasionally explored alternative routes through Tanzania. However, Museveni’s rhetoric on “entitlement” to the ocean touches on sensitive sovereignty issues rarely addressed so directly in regional diplomacy.
Kenya has responded with caution, emphasising restraint and dialogue over confrontation.
