President William Ruto has assured his Ugandan counterpart, Yoweri Museveni, that the landlocked nation has access to the Indian Ocean and that there is no dispute over it.
Speaking in Tororo, Uganda, during the groundbreaking for the Devki Mega Steel Project, Ruto said there is no bad blood between the two nations over the supposed dispute.
“Let me assure the naysayers that Uganda and Kenya are brothers and sisters, and we do not have time for negative engagement,” President Ruto said.
“Uganda is assured of access to the sea (Indian Ocean) through Kenya, and that is why we are not only extending the pipeline but also extending the road and railway.”
Ruto’s comments come days after President Museveni expressed concern over Uganda not having access to the sea, indicating this may be a cause for future conflict.
“That is why I say, you people, why don’t you see how to unite? In Uganda, even if you want to build a navy, how can you build it? We don’t have access to the sea,” Museveni said. “The political situation in Africa is so irrational. Some countries have no access to the sea for economic purposes, but also for defence purposes. You are stuck. How do I export my products?”
Ruto, in his speech on Sunday, said the two countries will cooperate in numerous sectors to strengthen ties.
“For those who want to engage us in negative talk, we want to tell them, 'please give us a break,'” he said.
“We want to work together to create jobs. We want to work together to attract investment. We want to work together to do investments like the one I see here today (Tororo Steel Industry).”
Speaking on the establishment of the Tororo Steel Industry, Kenya’s Head of State said the move sends a powerful message that the two countries possess both the capacity and the courage to build globally competitive industries that drive Africa's transformation.
“It embodies the spirit of self-reliance and innovation envisioned in the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and advances the objectives of the African Continental Free Trade Area by fostering regional value addition, industrial growth, and sustainable economic integration,” he added.
