Kenya and Uganda have officially launched discussions to extend the petroleum products pipeline from Eldoret to Kampala, a crucial development expected to reshape the regional fuel import market.
The initiative aims to enhance fuel transportation efficiency between the two countries.
Last week, Uganda’s Minister of Energy and Mineral Development, Ruth Ssentamu, met with Kenya’s Ministry of Energy officials, including State Department for Petroleum PS Mohammed Liban.
During her visit, she also toured the Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) headquarters.
KPC Managing Director Joe Sang highlighted the strategic importance of extending the pipeline, emphasizing that this move would help Kenya regain its competitive edge in the petroleum export sector amid Uganda’s evolving importation strategies.
“KPC is eager to collaborate with the Ugandan government on the Eldoret-Malaba pipeline,” Sang stated.
The project will involve constructing a multi-product pipeline from Eldoret to Malaba, which is at the Kenya-Uganda border.
Uganda will then build a connecting line to Kampala. Future expansion to Kigali, Rwanda, is also under consideration.
During her visit to Nairobi, Minister Ssentamu focused on planning and preparation for the project’s launch and familiarized herself with KPC’s operations, infrastructure, and capabilities.
This initiative follows Uganda’s recent shift to independent fuel imports, which began in July, ending its reliance on Kenya for refined petroleum products.
Under a new agreement with Vitol Bahrain, Uganda seeks to achieve more competitive fuel prices while continuing to use Kenya’s Port of Mombasa and KPC’s infrastructure for transporting fuel to Eldoret and Kisumu.
The pipeline project, initially proposed in 1995 through a Memorandum of Understanding, was revisited in May 2024 after a feasibility study by the European Investment Bank confirmed its viability.
President William Ruto, during a meeting with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni in May, urged for swift action and resource mobilization for the project, with progress reports expected by the end of 2024.
Both nations will establish a joint committee to oversee quality control and project implementation.
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