President Yoweri Museveni on Wednesday met Egyptian leader Abdel Fattah Al‑Sisi at State House, Entebbe, in his first bilateral engagement since being sworn in for the seventh five-year term.

 

The talks centred on trade, industrialisation, renewable energy, fish farming, regional security, and the sustainable management of the River Nile, according to a statement from the Ugandan presidency.

On regional and international affairs, President Museveni expressed concern over the prolonged instability in Libya, the conflict in Palestine, and tensions involving Iran, saying Africa should continue to advocate dialogue and peaceful solutions to conflicts.

The two leaders also discussed the unending conflicts in Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, and the Horn of Africa, reaffirming support for dialogue, African-led peace processes, and respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity.

As conflicts take a toll on African economies and populations, President Museveni said the current crop of leaders must borrow a leaf from African independence heroes such as Gamal Abdel Nasser, Kwame Nkrumah, and Julius Nyerere in supporting struggles across the continent to free Africans.“We cannot remain silent when people continue to suffer through endless wars and instability,” Museveni said.

Al-Sisi noted that Egypt faces severe water scarcity, with per capita water availability having dropped below 500 cubic metres annually, even as Cairo remains committed to dialogue and cooperation with Nile Basin countries to end disputes over the sustainable and equitable use of the shared water body.

The Nile, a strategic water resource shared by 11 riparian countries, has been a source of diplomatic fallout between Egypt and Ethiopia in recent years, with President Museveni often supporting a strategic, development-focused approach to the Nile disputes instead of relying on colonial-era agreements.

The Ugandan leader highlighted environmental degradation, particularly the encroachment on wetlands, as one of the challenges affecting the Nile Basin, saying many people invade wetlands in search of land for agriculture due to population pressure and limited economic opportunities.

Museveni proposed large-scale fish farming projects as part of the solution, arguing that aquaculture would create jobs, protect wetlands, and increase export earnings.“The biggest help I want from you is fish farming. Fish is in high demand globally, and this project can help our people move out of subsistence agriculture while also protecting the wetlands,” he said.

Al-Sisi pledged Egypt’s commitment to supporting Uganda’s development agenda, particularly in fish farming, renewable energy, industrialisation, and value addition, saying the North African nation would mobilise Egyptian investors to invest in Uganda’s aquaculture sector.

He also pledged support in renewable energy development, saying Egyptian expertise and private investors would be encouraged to invest in Uganda’s energy sector.

“The global market is thirsty for these products. Africa must process its raw materials and agricultural products to create jobs and generate more income,” he said, calling for stronger private sector partnerships between Uganda and Egypt.

In June 2026, Cairo is scheduled to host the African Business Forum and the AU Mid-Year Coordination Meeting, to which the Egyptian leader invited President Museveni, as Chairman of the East African Community.

In a joint communiqué issued after the meeting, the two leaders directed their ministers to operationalise the outcomes of President Museveni’s August 2025 visit to Egypt and strengthen cooperation in agro-processing, pharmaceuticals, renewable energy, water management, and infrastructure development.

The communiqué further stated that Egypt reaffirmed its readiness to finance and mobilise funding for water-related infrastructure projects in Uganda through the Nile Development Fund.

Al-Sisi was accompanied by Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emigration and Egyptian Expatriates, Dr Badr Abdelatty, and the Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, Prof Hani Sewilam.

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