Kenya must stand firm against Uganda’s maritime irredentism
By Kinyuru Munuhe
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni’s recent assertion that Uganda has a claim over the Indian Ocean and warning of potential future wars within the East African Community (EAC), coupled with provocative remarks by his son, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, that he could “seize the Indian Ocean,” reflects a troubling disregard for international law, regional diplomacy, and historical geography. Kenya must not dismiss these remarks as mere political theatrics. Instead, they demand a principled, assertive, and law-based response anchored in the protection of state sovereignty and territorial integrity.
At the heart of this issue lies a dangerous normalisation of revisionist rhetoric within the East African region statements that challenge internationally recognised boundaries and risk destabilising decades of peaceful coexistence.
Kenya, as a maritime state with legitimate sovereignty over its coastline and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), must make it unequivocally clear that its territorial boundaries are inviolable. Any claims to the contrary are not only ahistorical but also legally untenable.
Uganda, a landlocked country, benefits from access to the Indian Ocean through Kenya and Tanzania under international transit rights established through multilateral treaties and the East African Community (EAC) framework. These arrangements guarantee landlocked states commercial access, not territorial claims. President Museveni’s rhetoric, therefore, risks undermining these cooperative mechanisms by introducing false notions of entitlement where none exist in law or history.
Kenya must take a multi-pronged approach in addressing this issue.
First, the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs should formally seek clarification from Kampala on whether Museveni’s and Muhoozi’s statements represent official Ugandan policy.
Silence would amount to tacit acceptance of aggression. Secondly, Nairobi should rally the African Union (AU) and EAC to reaffirm respect for the sanctity of colonial-era borders as codified in the Cairo Declaration of 1964, which remains a cornerstone of continental stability.
Moreover, Kenya must strengthen its maritime defense capabilities and diplomatic posture to preempt any perception of weakness. The Kenya Navy’s modernisation, alongside tighter coordination with the Kenya Coast Guard Service, is not merely a security investment but a statement of national resolve. Sovereignty, after all, is not only a matter of law but also of credible deterrence.
At a broader level, Museveni’s and Muhoozi’s claims reflect a growing trend among certain African leaders and their political heirs to test regional boundaries for domestic political mileage.
Such adventurism erodes trust and risks reversing the integration progress achieved within the EAC. Kenya’s response should thus blend firmness with diplomacy rejecting aggression without jeopardising economic and regional cooperation.
Ultimately, sovereignty is the lifeblood of a state. Kenya’s access to the Indian Ocean is not negotiable. The Indian Ocean does not “belong” to Uganda or to any single state, rather, it is governed by international law that recognises the rights and responsibilities of coastal and landlocked nations alike.
Kenya must, therefore, remain vigilant, uphold the rule of law, and continue to project strength through diplomacy, legal consistency, and strategic preparedness. History teaches that national integrity is not lost overnight; it erodes when nations fail to confront creeping revisionism disguised as rhetoric.
Kinyuru Munuhe is a Diplomacy, Foreign Relations and Strategic Communications Specialist. He is also the Executive Director, Governance and Diplomacy Associates (GDA Associates) @kinyurumunuhe
