Kenya and Uganda harness Lake Victoria for regional energy integration

Kenya and Uganda are using the shared resource of Lake Victoria to ensure a steady supply of petroleum products to landlocked countries in East Africa and support regional integration.

During a meeting Monday in Entebbe, Uganda, attended by Kenya's Cabinet Secretary for Energy and Petroleum Opiyo Wandayi and his Ugandan counterpart Ruth Nankabirwa, the two leaders committed to improving bilateral trade and setting up a reliable transportation network for petroleum across the lake shared by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.

Through the use of the Kisumu-Entebbe oil transport corridor, workers at the Kisumu Oil Jetty in Kenya and the Mahathi Infra facility at Entebbe, Uganda are making progress towards energy security for the entire East African region.

After Monday's meeting, Nankabirwa and Wandayi noted that the infrastructure projects have significantly boosted cross-border oil trade and improved regional fuel supply chains, enhancing development prospects in Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

According to a statement released after the meeting, Wandayi said the initiative has streamlined fuel movement across borders and created an efficient and reliable petroleum transportation network over Lake Victoria.

Adding a third barge to connect the Kisumu Oil Jetty with Mahathi Infra Uganda will greatly lower transport costs, reduce carbon emissions and lessen the burden on road infrastructure, the Kenyan representative added.

"Each vessel carries up to 6.5 million liters of petroleum, which is equivalent to taking 150 trucks off the road," he said.

Nankabirwa said that using Lake Victoria as a transportation route for petroleum has fostered a more integrated business environment.

"This clearly shows how infrastructure can serve as a strong tool for integration," she said, adding that the vessels transporting refined petroleum products from Kenya to Uganda have transformed regional trade logistics.

"The use of barges on Lake Victoria has not only increased product availability in Uganda but has also promoted a borderless business environment vital for regional integration," she added.

Kenya Pipeline Corporation Managing Director Joe Sang reported that over 470 million liters of petroleum products have been transported across Lake Victoria since the Kenyan jetty started operating in 2023.

He said that Kenya Pipeline will continue to expand operations in Kisumu to meet rising demand in Uganda and neighboring markets.

Sang also welcomed the growing partnership with Uganda's National Oil Corporation (UNOC), describing the collaboration as "solid and productive".

"The partnership has facilitated the involvement of major oil companies and ensured good returns on investment while supporting a stable fuel supply in Uganda," he said.

UNOC CEO Proscovia Nabbanja said he had high hopes for the partnership's future, thanking Kenya Pipeline for its reliability and promising to strengthen cooperation for mutual benefit.

Nankabirwa, meanwhile, highlighted the need to expedite the proposed Eldoret-Kampala-Kigali pipeline, which links Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda, and called for urgent steps to finalize the Memorandum of Understanding and implementation agreement.