Kenyan President William Ruto has dismissed reports suggesting rising tensions between Kenya and Uganda over Uganda’s access to the Indian Ocean. Speaking during his visit to Uganda on November 23, 2025, Ruto made it clear that Uganda’s rights to use Kenyan ports and transport routes remain secure and undisputed.
Ruto was in Tororo District for the groundbreaking of the Devki Mega Steel Factory in Osukuru. During the event, he criticized sections of the media for misinterpreting comments made earlier by Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, saying journalists had exaggerated the issue and created unnecessary fear.
“I know some people in the journalism space tried to create the impression that Uganda said it must access the sea by any means,” Ruto said. “That is not true.”
Ruto stressed that Kenya and Uganda share deep historical, social, and economic ties. He assured the region that the relationship between the two neighbors is strong and unshaken.
“Uganda and Kenya are sister countries. We do not have time for negative engagement,” he said. “Uganda is fully assured of access to the sea through Kenya. That is why we are extending the pipeline, the road, and the railway.”
The President emphasized that both countries should focus on development—such as creating jobs, attracting investment, and building infrastructure—rather than entertaining political speculation.
Ruto’s remarks came just days after President Museveni made comments that stirred debate across East Africa. In a radio interview in Mbale City on November 11, Museveni said that denying landlocked countries access to the sea was “madness,” adding that Uganda needed the Indian Ocean for trade and long-term security, including the possibility of building a navy in the future.
Museveni argued that shared regional resources, such as the ocean, should benefit all East African Community (EAC) members. He compared the ocean to a shared compound in a block of flats—accessible to everyone, not just the ground-floor residents.
His comments were widely reported as a warning to Kenya, prompting analysts and political commentators to speculate about underlying tensions. But Ruto insisted that these interpretations were misleading and said the two governments remain committed to deeper regional integration.
“Our focus is progress, not conflict,” Ruto concluded.
