Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has stirred fresh debate after stressing that outer space, including the moon, belongs to all nations and should not be dominated by a few global powers.
Speaking during a public address on Wednesday, Museveni warned that Africa risks falling behind in global influence if it continues to remain absent from space exploration and technological advancement.
He pointed to recent developments such as NASA’s Artemis II mission, which launched in April 2026 and carried astronauts on a historic lunar flyby—the first crewed mission of its kind in over five decades.
According to Museveni, countries with advanced space capabilities, including the United States, Russia, China, and India, are gaining a strategic advantage that could leave less-developed nations vulnerable.
He emphasized that space should be treated as a shared global resource, questioning why African nations are not actively involved in monitoring activities beyond Earth.
The Ugandan leader also raised concerns about the imbalance in technological development, warning that nations without space programmes could be at a disadvantage in global affairs.
Museveni further highlighted the need for African countries to invest in science and technology, suggesting that regional cooperation—especially within East Africa—could help bridge the gap and strengthen collective security.
He argued that achieving technological parity is essential for protecting sovereignty, noting that individual countries may struggle alone but could succeed through collaboration.
His remarks have generated widespread reactions, especially as they follow earlier comments in which he described global resources, such as oceans, as belonging to all nations and called for equal access by landlocked countries like Uganda.
- Routers