Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs Musalia Mudavadi has assured lawmakers and the country that Kenya has no intention of going to war with Uganda, despite recent political chatter suggesting rising tensions. Appearing before the National Assembly plenary on Wednesday, Mudavadi reaffirmed that Kenya remains firmly committed to regional peace, international law and long-standing obligations to support access to the sea for landlocked neighbours.
The reassurance came after Suba South MP Caroli Omondi raised concerns about claims that Uganda harboured intentions to “overrun Kenya and take the Indian Ocean.” Omondi cited Uganda’s past military involvement in South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Somalia and Burundi as reason to take any such rhetoric seriously.
Mudavadi dismissed the allegations as unfounded, reminding Parliament that Kenya has consistently honoured international treaties that guarantee safe passage for goods belonging to landlocked nations such as Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudan.
“There are conventions and obligations which deal with landlocked countries,” he said. “We have always provided safe and free passage, and we are not about to change that. This is both our international duty and a way of strengthening regional ties.”
He emphasised that Kenya would not be drawn into provocative exchanges, noting that the country’s foreign policy is anchored in diplomacy, cooperation and adherence to global norms.
The debate briefly took a lighter tone when Omondi asked Mudavadi to assure MPs of their safety ahead of the upcoming inter-parliamentary games in Uganda. Mudavadi responded humorously, prompting laughter across the House before Speaker Moses Wetang’ula intervened to add that there was “no evidence to the contrary” regarding their safety.
The discussion follows Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni’s recent comments insisting that landlocked countries are entitled to access the Indian Ocean. Museveni likened Africa’s borders to “irrational” arrangements that unfairly restrict nations like Uganda, arguing that ocean access should not be limited to coastal states.
Mudavadi, however, maintained that Kenya’s approach remains rooted in peaceful cooperation rather than confrontation.
