Museveni expected in Nairobi as Kenya-Uganda ties face border test
Top on the agenda is the protracted dispute over Migingo Island, a rocky outcrop in Lake Victoria whose rich fishing waters have for years strained ties between Nairobi and Kampala.
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni is expected in Nairobi for an official visit with his Kenyan counterpart, William Ruto - a trip seen as pivotal to recalibrating relations between the two regional heavyweights amid simmering tensions and shared economic ambitions.
Top on the agenda is the protracted dispute over Migingo Island, a rocky outcrop in Lake Victoria whose rich fishing waters have for years strained ties between Nairobi and Kampala.
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While tiny in size, Migingo remains symbolically and economically significant.
Recent arrests and policing skirmishes around the island have reignited friction, underscoring the urgency of high-level engagement.
Ahead of his Nairobi trip, Museveni met Kenya's High Commissioner to Uganda, Joash Maangi, at State House in Entebbe on Tuesday.
The two discussed bilateral trade, cross-border cooperation, and regional security.
According to a Ugandan State House communique, Museveni welcomed Kenya's recent outreach to local leaders on the island and said he hoped "we are happy to preserve [Migingo] for mutual benefit."
Maangi noted that a Kenyan delegation had recently visited the island and helped ease tensions through direct talks.
"We took note of the issues and resolved many outstanding concerns through dialogue," Maangi said.
On wider security concerns - including frequent pastoralist clashes in the Karamoja–Sebei–Turkana corridor - Museveni made clear his frustration with the persistence of nomadic violence.
"We cannot continue with seasonal migrations that cause conflict. We are human beings, not wild animals," he said.
Advocating for a long-term shift, the Ugandan leader urged both governments to invest in irrigation and settled agriculture, citing Israel's farming model in arid zones. "Nomadism stems from ancient backwardness. We must tame nature, not surrender to it."
The visit marks a chance to reinforce a long-standing partnership between Kenya and Uganda, East Africa's two largest economies, even as thorny historical grievances linger.
For both leaders, translating warm diplomatic language into lasting solutions will be the real test.
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