A high-level delegation from the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) is in Kenya for a benchmarking visit with the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF), even as Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni’s remarks on coastal access continue to stir regional debate.

In a statement on Wednesday, November 13, 2025, KDF revealed that the delegation, led by Deputy Commander of Land Forces Major General Francis Takirwa, visited the Defence Forces Welfare Services (DEFWES) headquarters at Moi Air Base, Eastleigh, Nairobi.

 The visit seeks to strengthen bilateral cooperation between the two militaries and promote the exchange of knowledge on welfare, housing, education, healthcare, and post-service support for military personnel and their families.

Further, KDF revealed that Maj Gen Takirwa and his team were received by Brigadier Peter Limo, the Managing Director of DEFWES, who briefed them on Kenya’s comprehensive welfare structure.

The presentation covered the formation and mandate of DEFWES, veterans’ support initiatives, cooperative societies, and sustainable income-generating programs that empower service members and their families.

The Ugandan team later paid a courtesy call on Kenya Air Force Commander Major General Bernard Waliaula, who encouraged them to draw inspiration from Kenya’s model and implement practical solutions that would improve welfare systems within the UPDF.

The delegation also toured the DEFWES warehouse and DEFWES Mall in Embakasi, gaining insights into the logistics, supply, and service frameworks that support KDF personnel and dependents.

Maj Gen Takirwa commended Kenya’s structured and innovative approach to managing the welfare of its soldiers.

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“Thank you, DEFWES officials, for your time in making us understand your Defence Welfare Service. By the end of this trip, we will emulate the knowledge and embrace another visit again,” he said.

The benchmarking mission comes just days after President Museveni made controversial remarks about landlocked countries’ access to the sea, warning that future conflicts could emerge if such nations are denied maritime rights.

Speaking during a radio interview in Mbale City, Museveni said it was “madness” for coastal nations to block landlocked states from accessing the ocean.

“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 Ugandan leader compared the situation to tenants in an apartment block, arguing that all residents are entitled to shared facilities.

“How can you say that those on the ground floor own the compound? The compound belongs to the whole block. All the flats are entitled to it,” he said.