Thursday, November
13, 2025 - Days after Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni issued a
provocative warning about landlocked nations being denied access to the Indian
Ocean, a high-level delegation from the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF)
has arrived in Kenya for a benchmarking mission with the Kenya Defence Forces
(KDF).
Led by Deputy Commander of Land Forces, Major General
Francis Takirwa, the UPDF team visited the Defence Forces Welfare Services
(DEFWES) headquarters at Moi Air Base, Eastleigh, on November 13th,
2025.
The visit focused on enhancing bilateral cooperation and
exchanging knowledge on military welfare, housing, healthcare, education and
veteran support.
Brigadier Peter Limo, DEFWES Managing Director, briefed the
delegation on Kenya’s welfare systems, including cooperative societies and
income-generating programs.
The team also met Kenya Air Force Commander, Major General
Bernard Waliaula, who encouraged Uganda to adapt Kenya’s model to improve UPDF
welfare structures.
The delegation toured DEFWES facilities in Embakasi, gaining
insights into logistics and service delivery. Maj Gen Takirwa praised Kenya’s
structured approach, stating, “We will emulate the knowledge and embrace
another visit again.”
The visit comes amid regional unease following Museveni’s
remarks during a recent radio interview.
He criticized coastal nations for restricting sea access,
calling it “madness” and warning of future wars if landlocked countries like
Uganda are denied maritime rights.
“Even if you
want to build a navy, how can you build it when you don’t have access to the
sea?”
“That ocean
belongs to me because it is my ocean. I am entitled to it. In future, we are
going to have wars,” he stated.
The Kenyan DAILY POST
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