Kenya’s Energy and Petroleum Cabinet Secretary, Davis Chirchir, has revealed that the country plans to construct three new ships to ensure daily trips to Uganda, instead of the current weekly excursions by water. This latest move is part of an effort aimed at boosting the export of oil products through Lake Victoria.
Despite a project, worth over $14.57m, which began operating in January and was expected to transport a substantial volume of petroleum products, Chirchir disclosed that Kenya has only transported less than 20 million litres so far.
The jetty facility at Kisumu KPC depot, which was commissioned in May 2017 and completed in March 2018, was intended to transport petroleum products to Uganda but experienced a delay due to the absence of an off-loading jetty in Lake Victoria. However, transportation has resumed since January 2023.
Aside from Uganda, the facility supports the needs of neighbouring countries like the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan, Burundi and Rwanda, with fuel being transported to the Mahathi terminal in Entebbe, Uganda. The finished product is then loaded onto trucks, which are used to transport petroleum to the four borders.
Chirchir noted that the three new ships will help reduce road congestion and improve the reliability of oil supply, however, he acknowledged that considerable work still needs to be done in enhancing infrastructure in the petroleum export sector. For instance, the existing narrow roads hauling trucks and goods in Uganda can impede the speedy transportation of petroleum.
