TORORO. Kenyan President William Ruto has defended his Ugandan counterpart Yoweri Museveni on the recent comments about Uganda’s “entitlement” to the Indian Ocean, insisting that relations between the two countries remain strong, cooperative and focused on integration.
Standing alongside Mr Museveni, Ruto rejected claims that Uganda’s long serving leader’s remarks had signalled tension or territorial ambition, noting that the two governments continue to strengthen the transport and trade corridors linking Uganda to the Kenyan coast.
“I know people in the journalist space… try to create an impression that Uganda had said something to the effect that they need to access the sea,” Ruto said during the ground-breaking ceremony of the Devki Mega Steel Factory in Kayoro, Tororo.
“Let me assure the naysayers that Uganda can access the sea through Kenya. We are not only extending the pipeline, we are also extending the road and we are also extending the railway, because we believe this region needs to move as one.”
Ruto said such investments will create jobs for young people
“Let me assure the naysayers that Uganda can access the sea through Kenya. We are not only extending the pipeline, we are also extending the road and we are also extending the railway, because we believe this region needs to move as one.”
Ruto said the online frenzy over Museveni’s remarks, which sparked waves of memes and satire across East Africa, had overshadowed the real focus of both governments, which is accelerating infrastructure and investment.
“For those who want to engage us in negative talk, we want to tell them: please give us a break,” he said.
“We do not have time for negative talk. We have time for progress… to create jobs, attract investment and connect this region so that we can share prosperity, because poverty cannot be shared.”
Ruto used the occasion to highlight the economic significance of the Devki project, revealing that Kenya currently imports enormous volumes of steel, a gap he wants East African factories to fill.
“Kenya imports close to $850 million of steel from the rest of the world. We would be very happy that $850 million would be in our region if this factory was to supply steel to Kenya,” he said.
He stressed that the project is not a Ugandan asset alone, but a regional one anchored in shared industrialisation.
“This facility that I take a lot of pride in to participate in its launch is not just a Ugandan facility, it is an East African facility,” Ruto said.
“The steel that is going to come from here… Uganda happens to have the best steel or iron ore resources. It is therefore befitting that this factory is established here not just to serve Uganda, but to serve Kenya, East Africa and the region.”
Remarks Clarified
Museveni’s earlier comments — in which he described the Indian Ocean as Uganda’s “entitlement” within a metaphor likening Africa to flats sharing a compound — went viral across the region.
In response, he clarified that he was speaking about strategic regional unity, not claiming coastal territory.
He said fragmented defence capabilities among EAC states weaken the region, arguing for a future political federation to align defence, trade and space ambitions.
The episode prompted a visit by Kenya’s Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi to Kampala for consultations, after which Museveni reiterated respect for existing borders and international law.
Ruto emphasized that Kenya remains Uganda’s guaranteed route to the Indian Ocean under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, and that major investments are being made in the pipeline, highways, and the Standard Gauge Railway to strengthen cross-border trade links.
The ground-breaking of the Devki Mega Steel Factory marks a major industrial leap for Uganda and the wider East African region.
The plant, developed by Kenya’s Devki Group, is expected to supply steel for construction, automotive, mining and energy projects across the region.
The vertically integrated USD 500 million steel facility, developed by Kenyan industrialist Dr. Narendra Raval (Guru) of the Devki Group, will employ 15,000 Ugandans in Tororo and Mbarara at commencement.
Dr. Raval emphasized that the majority of these jobs will come from the integrated steel operations and related activities supported by investments already made in Tororo, Mbarara, and the upcoming Kabale Iron Ore refinery.
President Museveni placed the event within Africa’s broader historical struggle, noting that the continent has endured centuries of exploitation and economic injustice.
He said that for over 500 years, Africa has been losing value through the slave trade, colonial systems, and modern economic practices that extract raw materials without adding value.
“Today, with the groundbreaking ceremony of the Devki Mega Steel project in Tororo, alongside H.E President William Ruto of Kenya, we are in the process of liberating Africa,” President Museveni said.
He also emphasized that this liberation involves stopping the long-standing trend of exporting African minerals and jobs.
“At full operationalization, we shall be one step closer to reversing the squandering of Africa’s resources—human, mineral, jobs, and foreign exchange,” he added.
The President thanked H.E Ruto for encouraging Dr. Raval to set up in Uganda, acknowledging Kenya’s recognition that Uganda is a natural source of key raw materials and that regional collaboration is essential for collective prosperity.
He congratulated Dr. Raval for investing heavily in Uganda and urged full production of steel sheets and other intermediate products locally so that Uganda keeps value within its borders.
President Museveni further revealed that Dr. Raval will also start another major iron ore project in Kabale that will create more than 16,000 jobs, expanding industrial opportunities across the country.
He noted that the Tororo plant will grow to 20,000 employees across East Africa by 2027 and highlighted Africa’s rising steel demand, projected to increase from 39.5 million tonnes in 2024 to 52 million tonnes by 2034. He said Kenya will, in January, launch the next phase of the Standard Gauge Railway from Mombasa to Naivasha and from Rironi to Malaba, eventually extending to Tororo to support large-scale manufacturing.
Dr. Raval, Chairman of Devki Group, thanked President Museveni for guiding the project and insisting that it be built in Tororo to create jobs for the people of the region. He pledged that 90 percent of the factory’s workforce will be Ugandans.
“At this juncture, I would like to promise the Tororo community that whatever employment will be in the factory, 90% of the jobs will be allocated to Tororo and the surrounding communities only.”
He also stressed that industrialization is the only path to prosperity.
“Importing steel is importing poverty,” he said. “We must produce here, create jobs here, and empower the youth.”
He also praised President Ruto for stabilizing Kenya’s economy and curbing inflation, saying such reforms have created a conducive environment for regional investors.