Kenya and Uganda have commenced discussions on extending the petroleum products pipeline from Eldoret to Kampala.

The project will entail the construction of a multi-product oil pipeline from Eldoret to Malaba (Kenya-Uganda border) on Kenya’s part.

On the other hand, Uganda will be responsible for building a connecting line to Kampala, while future expansions to Kigali and Rwanda will also be considered.

Uganda’s Minister of Energy and Mineral Development, Ruth Ssentamu, met with Kenya’s Ministry of Energy officials led by the State Department for Petroleum PS. Mohammed Liban and later toured Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) headquarters facilities last week.

According to KPC  Managing Director Mr. Joe Sang, “extension of the pipeline to Uganda is a strategic move for Kenya as the country seeks to regain its competitive advantage in the petroleum export market, particularly in light of Uganda’s new importation strategy”

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“KPC is open and willing to collaborate with the Ugandan government to lay the Eldoret – Malaba pipeline,” he said.

Speaking during her Nairobi trip, Mrs. Ssentamu noted that the visit entailed planning and preparation for the project's kick-off, as well as understanding Kenya Pipeline’s operations, infrastructure, and human capacity.

This initiative follows Uganda’s recent transition to independent fuel imports, which began in early July. This ended its previous dependence on Kenya for the supply of refined petroleum products.

Under a new agreement between the Uganda National Oil Corporation (UNOC) and Vitol Bahrain, Uganda aims to secure more competitive fuel prices while still relying on Kenya’s Port of Mombasa and the Kenya Pipeline Company’s (KPC) infrastructure to transport these products to the Western Kenya depots of Eldoret and Kisumu.

The concept for this pipeline was first mooted in 1995 through a Memorandum of Understanding between Uganda and Kenya. It was revisited in May 2024 following a feasibility study funded by the European Investment Bank, which confirmed the project’s viability.