KAMPALA, Uganda — Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has said that his government rejected proposals from the United States and the United Kingdom to deploy military contingents in Uganda, insisting the country is capable of defending itself without foreign forces.
Speaking in remarks reported by the local outlets, the veteran leader said both Western allies had previously expressed interest in supporting Uganda’s military development, but his government declined the offers.
“We are very confident. That is why, for instance, the Americans came here and the British, and they said we want to help you build your army. We said but we have already built the army,” Museveni said.
Uganda, he added, has no need for foreign military bases on its territory.
“Foreign armies for what? We can defend ourselves, we don’t need anything from anybody,” the president said.
Disagreement over military legal protections
Museveni also addressed negotiations over a proposed Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), a treaty that sets out the legal framework governing foreign military personnel stationed in another country.
According to the Ugandan leader, both Washington and London had suggested such an agreement but sought provisions allowing their troops to be tried in their own countries if accused of committing crimes while stationed in Uganda.
Museveni said he objected to that condition.
He proposed that Ugandan citizens who commit crimes abroad should likewise be returned to Uganda for trial, a request he said was rejected by the US and the UK.
“I have never signed any single SOFA with anybody in all the time I have been here,” he added.
Museveni has led Uganda since 1986, making him one of Africa’s longest-serving heads of state.
Uganda’s security partnerships
Despite rejecting permanent foreign deployments, Uganda maintains extensive military cooperation with Western countries.
Ugandan troops are a key component of regional peacekeeping missions, including the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), which has received significant logistical and training support from the US and UK.
The Ugandan military, formally known as the Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF), has also collaborated with American forces in counter-terrorism operations targeting extremist groups in East Africa.
According to the intelligence publication Africa Intelligence, discussions about deeper military cooperation have occurred in the past.
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In 2003, Museveni himself reportedly proposed allowing the US Air Force to use Entebbe International Airport as a logistical support base.
The Ugandan government has not recently confirmed whether similar negotiations are ongoing.
Analysts say Museveni’s comments highlight Kampala’s long-standing approach to security partnerships, welcoming foreign training and operational cooperation while maintaining firm control over military deployments inside the country.
Uganda’s strategic position in East Africa, along with its role in regional security operations, continues to make it a key partner for Western governments seeking stability in the Horn of Africa and the Great Lakes region.
However, Kampala has frequently emphasised that any security cooperation must respect the country’s sovereignty and legal jurisdiction.
