Museveni Meets Kenyan Cabinet Over Indian Ocean – Secrets Leak

President Museveni has confirmed holding a closed-door meeting with Kenya’s Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, after his recent comments on the Indian Ocean sparked diplomatic concern in Nairobi.

State House sources said the discussions at the Mayuge State Lodge on Wednesday night centred on bilateral cooperation and regional stability, coming days after Museveni questioned Kenya’s exclusive claim to its Indian Ocean coastline, remarks that generated unease across East Africa.

Earlier on Wednesday, Mudavadi appeared before Kenya’s National Assembly plenary, where he downplayed the concern around Museveni’s comments, insisting that relations between the two neighbours remained strong and rooted in international law.

Mudavadi told legislators that Kenya has always provided safe and free passage for goods from landlocked countries and would not deviate from its obligations.

“I want to assure you that we are not going to go to war, and we as a country have always provided safe passage for goods from landlocked countries,” he said. “We are not about to change that because it is our international obligation, but also how we grow our ports.”

Kenyan lawmakers also demanded assurance of their safety ahead of their scheduled travel to Uganda for interparliamentary sports activities. Mudavadi confirmed that the Kenyan government had taken all necessary steps to guarantee the safety of its parliamentary delegation. “I want to assure the Members of Parliament that they will be safe when they go to Uganda,” he noted.

Diplomatic attention heightened after Museveni, while addressing supporters on November 8, questioned why Uganda should depend solely on Kenya for sea access and warned of future conflict if such challenges persisted.

“That ocean belongs to me. Because it is my ocean. I am entitled to that ocean. In the future, we are going to have wars,” Museveni said, referring to persistent disagreements over transport corridors like the Standard Gauge Railway and the crude oil pipeline.

The meeting in Mayuge is seen by observers as a strategic attempt to ease tension, reaffirm regional commitments, and steady relations between the two countries ahead of ongoing cross-border projects.