Former Ugandan dictator, Idi Amin (Left) and Kenya’s ex-leader Jomo Kenyatta
Kenya and Uganda near war
In 1976, the Ugandan military dictator Idi Amin attempted to redraw the boundaries of his country and Kenya saying that he wanted back all Kenyan districts that were part of Uganda before the colonial re-demarcation of the territorial boundaries. These included Turkana, part of Lake Rudolf (now Lake Turkana), West Pokot, Trans-Nzoia, Bungoma, Busia, Kakamega, Central Nyanza, South Nyanza, Narok, Kisii, Kericho, Nakuru, Uasin Gishu, Elgeyo, Marakwet, Nyandarua, Nandi, Kisumu, Eldoret, Tambach, Maji Moto, Maji Mazuri, Gilgil, Nakuru, Lake Baringo and Naivasha.
Amin claimed part of the current Republic of South Sudan up to Torit, as he stressed that the area belonged to Uganda prior to the Berlin Conference of 1884 that demarcated Africa among European powers. He further argued that British colonialists “made several mistakes when they were making territorial demarcations because all ethnic groups had blood relations across borders”.
When part of eastern Uganda was transferred to Kenya — Daily Monitor
This angered the Kenyan administration then headed by Jomo Kenyatta, who would subsequently deploy the military and tanks along the Kenya–Uganda border where they were met by large crowds in Kenyan town, Malaba where Amin’s effigy was burned. Kenyatta also ordered the closure of the border which led to shortages of fuel and other commodities in Uganda’s capital Kampala.
In spite of the threats from Amin at the time, the Kenyan leader didn’t go any further but rather called on the the OAU and other regional players into urging Amin (who was then the chairman of OAU) to back down as the organisation had passed a resolution that all member states should respect the borders existing on their attainment of independence.
A committee of the heads of state of Ethiopia, Zaire (present-day Democratic Republic of Congo), Burundi, Rwanda and Zambia was formed to look into the issue, though, by that time, Amin had backed down on his invasion plans.
