Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has come out to address the growing tensions between Kenya and Uganda following President Yoweri Museveni's controversial remarks on taking control of the Indian Ocean.
Appearing before the National Assembly plenary on Wednesday, November 19, Mudavadi affirmed the strong bilateral relations between the two nations, maintaining that Kenya was committed to peaceful coexistence with its neighbours.
He explained that international laws outline how landlocked countries, such as Uganda, access the sea without disputes, emphasising that Kenya would continue to assist neighbouring landlocked nations.
According to the Foreign Affairs CS, continued cooperation between the two countries was vital for Kenya in terms of economic development.
'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," Mudvadi said.
"We are not about to change that because it is our international obligation, but also, it is how we grow the ports in our country," the CS emphasised.
During the plenary session, the lawmakers also pressed the CS to assure them of their safety during their trip to Uganda to participate in the interparliamentary sports activities.
Mudavadi stated that the Kenyan government had taken all necessary measures to guarantee the safety of its members of parliament during their journey in Uganda.
"I want to assure the members of parliament that they will be safe when they go to Uganda for interparliamentary sports," Mudavadi affirmed.
Museveni has warned of a looming war with Kenya should his country continue to face challenges in accessing the Indian Ocean. Speaking on November 8, the Ugandan Head of State claimed that the ocean belonged to him.
"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?" Museveni questioned.
"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," he added.
