- The government finally broke its silence after President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni warned of the possibility of war between Kenya and Uganda over the Indian Ocean
- However, Museveni’s threats have sparked questions among Kenyans on whether Uganda has the capacity to fight Kenyan troops
- Speaking during an exclusive interview with TUKO.co.ke, political analysts Mark Bichachi and Philip Mwangale weighed in on the matter
Faith Chandianya, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings over three years of experience covering politics and current affairs in Kenya
Uganda’s president, Yoweri Museveni, on Sunday, November 9, had warned of the possibility of Kenya going to war with Uganda over the Indian Ocean.
Source: Facebook
This has sparked outrage among Kenyans, with some of them laughing off the possibility of the Ugandan military defeating Kenyan troops.
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Kenya downplays Museveni’s threats
Being a matter of public interest, the Kenyan government has broken its silence over Museveni’s matter and addressed the elephant in the room.
Speaking during the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ third quarterly media briefing, Sing’oei affirmed the country’s commitment to international territorial laws and peaceful diplomacy.
He further downplayed the threats, asserting that Kenya will adhere to the legal frameworks. He also highlighted the broader objectives of Kenya’s foreign policy under President William Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza government.
We highlighted our relationship with countries in the East African Community, peace and security issues, as well as diaspora-related matters,” Sing’oei stated in a social media post,” Singóei said.
Does Uganda have capacity to fight Kenya?
In a bid to provide more insights on the matter, Political Analyst Mark Bichachi spoke of the possibility of the Ugandan troops fighting the Kenyan troops.
Speaking during an exclusive interview with TUKO.co.ke, Bichachi stated that Uganda has no navy that would engage in war with the Kenyan navy.
He further opined that Uganda’s army is not well-funded and equipped for war.
“Which navy will Museveni use to challenge Kenya. It has no military capacity at sea to speak of. And this will be a sea issue. Second, her army is not as well funded as Kenya’s. Kenya has more personnel and equipment,” Bichachi said.
The lawyer also stated that Uganda, being a landlocked country, depends on countries that have access to the sea or ocean, like Kenya, in order to receive goods from overseas by water.
“Whilst he is attacking Kenya, how will Uganda receive goods? Also, isn’t Uganda part of the East African Union? Don’t we have the same custom Union? Easy passage of goods and services? The EAC is his solution. He should not cry wolf when there is no forest, moon or night to carry out the howl,” Bichachi added.
Political analyst lawyer Philip Mwangale also weighed in on the matter. He seemingly downplayed Museveni’s remarks
Mwangale argued that Uganda has no legitimate claim of ownership of the Indian Ocean.
“There’s really nothing to what he said. Those were just rantings. Uganda has no legitimate or legal claim of ownership to the Ocean. That said, Kenya only owns a stretch of the Ocean within our maritime border,” he said.
Ugandan army arrives in Kenya
In a separate incident, the Ugandan military sent a high-level delegation to Nairobi for a benchmarking mission with the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF).
Source: Twitter
The delegation comprised the Uganda People’s Defence Forces, which was led by the Deputy Commander Land Force Major General Francis Takirwa.
The visit was focused on improving the ties between the Kenyan and Ugandan troops for better collaboration, according to KDF.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
