State plans common pipeline for refined petroleum products to serve East Africa
JOYCE LUTOMIA-(PCO)
The Government, through the State Department for Petroleum, has put plans in place to develop a common refined petroleum products pipeline to supply commodities to the East African Community region and partner states of the Northern Corridor Integrated Projects (NCIP).
The plan was agreed upon during the first Tripartite Infrastructure Summit by partner states of the East African Community and NCIP.
Principal Secretary for Petroleum Mohamed Liban stated during the regional cluster meeting of NCIP that Kenya has already constituted the Inter-Ministerial Technical Committee for the Eldoret to Kigali Refined Petroleum Products Pipeline.
“The East African region has been a net importer of refined petroleum products and primarily depends on these imports to meet its demand.
The petroleum products are imported from producing countries in the Middle East and the Mediterranean region via sea and delivered to the Port of Mombasa, where they are discharged,” the PS said.
The products, he said, are then transported via pipeline to the hinterland for distribution to the local market in Kenya and the region by the oil marketing companies through the Kenya Pipeline Network which extends to Western Kenya where the product is loaded in trucks and transported to the neighboring countries through road.
“Through the Kenya Pipeline Company, the Kisumu Oil Jetty (KOJ) was constructed and is in operation. Its utilization has increased after Uganda commenced directly importing refined products,” stated the PS.
He said the development of the Lake Victoria Intermodal Transport System will be realised through the construction of an oil jetty and the rehabilitation of the ports in the region to provide an alternative route to transport petroleum products.
Liban said the NCIP initiative is a collaborative regional effort by the Northern Corridor countries of Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, and South Sudan to enhance infrastructure and boost economic development.
Speaking after the tripartite meeting, Liban said key projects under the NCIP include the development of railways, roads, oil pipelines, and the modernization of ports.
The initiative focuses on improving transportation, energy, and ICT infrastructure to facilitate trade and movement within the region.
“By streamlining logistics and connectivity, the NCIP aims to promote regional integration, increase trade efficiency, and support sustainable development in East Africa,” the PS said. Kenya chairs five clusters including power generation, transmission, and interconnectivity.