Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has renewed his push for deeper regional integration, arguing that East African countries should unite under a federation with shared military capabilities, including a single navy.

Speaking to officers undertaking a course at the Senior Command and Staff College in Kimaka, Museveni said political integration was essential for strengthening the region's defence and strategic interests.

He questioned the colonial-era borders that divided countries in the region, noting that nations such as Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda and Burundi were creations of colonial powers.

"On the side of defence, strategic defence, you must have political integration where possible. Not everything is possible, but where the people are the same, like these ones of East Africa, they are the same people. What are Uganda and Kenya? It is what the British said: this is Uganda, this is Kenya, this is Rwanda, this is Burundi," he said.

Museveni praised the late Tanzanian leaders Mwalimu Julius Nyerere and Abeid Karume for uniting Tanganyika and Zanzibar to form Tanzania, saying their actions demonstrated the benefits of political integration.- 

According to Museveni, Africa's current political boundaries limit the continent's ability to protect its interests and compete globally.

“In Southern Africa, these are the same people. You find them in Zimbabwe, you find them in Mozambique. So, the answer there is political integration,” Museveni said.

"If we have the East African Federation, we shall be able to have a navy which can defend us in the oceans, and we can be able to have a space programme. In that case, we shall be able to defend ourselves in all spheres on land, in the air, at sea and in space.”

He warned that African countries remain vulnerable when acting individually, citing recent global conflicts as examples of how weaker nations can be disadvantaged against more powerful adversaries.

"We can fight, like the Iranians we have seen, but at a disadvantage because the other side has capabilities that we do not have. Yet these are capabilities we could have if we only organised ourselves better," he said.

Museveni said Africa's future lies in both economic and political integration, guided by patriotism and Pan-Africanism.

He told the officers that the continent must build the capacity to defend its interests while creating prosperity and opportunities for its people.

The President said his discussions with the officers covered strategic security, wealth creation, information and communication technology, population growth and the dangers of sectarianism. The Star