The Kenyan government has downplayed threats of war by Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni over access to the Indian Ocean through the Port of Mombasa.
Museveni on Sunday, November 8, warned of a looming war with Kenya should the landlocked East African nations continue to be denied access to the Indian Ocean.
The Ugandan Head of State, who is eyeing his eighth consecutive term in January next year, said that Uganda was entitled to the Indian Ocean for its economic needs.
"Some of the countries have no access to the sea, not only for economic purposes but also for defence purposes. You are stuck. How do I export my products?" he questioned.
Adding, "That is why we have had endless discussions with Kenya. This one stops, another comes. The railway and the pipeline – we discuss. But that ocean belongs to me. Because it is my ocean. I am entitled to that ocean. In the future, we are going to have wars."
However, President William Ruto's administration has since dismissed Museveni's controversial comments, with the government insisting that Museveni's sentiments were taken out of context.
Addressing journalists on Wednesday, November 12, Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing'Oei noted that Museveni's comments were metaphorical and should not be taken literally.
"President Yoweri Museveni was speaking metaphorically rather than to suggest that there was anything that was done in the manner in which he described it," said Sing'Oei.
Sing'Oei maintained that the Ugandan President was well aware of the international territorial laws. "I believe very much that he has a fairly great understanding with respect to the nature of our territory," the PS added.
Experts now say that Museveni's recent comments could worsen Kenya's long-standing diplomatic relations with Uganda, with some accusing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of downplaying the matter.
Kenya-Uganda relations have always been known to be strong and characterised by deep-rooted diplomatic, economic, and security ties.
Both countries are currently cooperating on major infrastructure projects, such as the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) and an expressway from Kisumu to Uganda.
