President Yoweri Museveni and Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi have renewed their commitment to strengthening the long-standing relationship between Uganda and Egypt, anchored in the River Nile and decades of Pan-African cooperation.
The two leaders made the pledge on August 12, 2025, during a joint press conference in Cairo, the second day of Museveni’s three-day official visit.
Reflecting on the nations’ history, Museveni said, “Uganda and the Great Lakes region are linked to Egypt by the Nile from ancient times. Politically, our closeness began in 1952 when President Nasser took leadership here Nasser, as an Africanist, worked closely with our leaders and supported the anti-colonial movement.”
On Nile Basin cooperation, he urged a broader vision: “Instead of limiting ourselves to historical rights, we should focus on the global needs of all Nile Basin countries prosperity for all, electricity for all, irrigation for all, and clean drinking water for all.”
Museveni also thanked Egypt for providing foot-and-mouth disease vaccines and agreeing to set up a vaccine plant in Uganda.
“Together, we will see how to produce, trade, create jobs, and develop electricity and irrigation for our people,” he said, warning against overdependence on Europe for trade
President El-Sisi emphasized the Nile’s central role: “The Nile binds us together… Egypt has no other water source; we don’t have rainfall. The Nile is life for us… We call for equitable sharing of water resources.”
He praised Uganda’s role in fostering regional agreements and noted ongoing cooperation in agriculture, energy, and water management.
Earlier, the two leaders witnessed the signing of several MOUs covering governance, diplomacy, trade, agriculture, economic cooperation, and water resources.
