In May of this year, the African Development Bank (ADB) granted $US600,000 to the East African Community (EAC) Secretariat to undertake the pipeline feasibility study.

“The plan is to link Kigali by a pipeline from Kampala, which will allow petroleum products to be accessed from the planned refinery in Uganda, as well as the existing refinery in Mombasa and international markets,” said Kenya Ministry of Energy Permanent Secretary Patrick Nyoike.

The feasibility study was set to begin after the EAC Secretariat secured funding from the ADB and after a feasibility study on refinery development was completed, both of which have now been achieved.

At a meeting of the EAC partner states in Arusha, Tanzania, in June this year, Deputy Secretary General (Productive and Social Sectors) Jean Claude Nsengiyumva urged progress.

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“There is a need to hasten the commencement of the study for the Kampala – Kigali [pipeline], which we understand was delayed to await conclusion of the feasibility study on refinery development in Uganda,” said Mr Nsengiyumva.

At the same meeting, the EAC Secretariat announced they had completed a similar feasibility study on the Dar es Salaam – Tanga – Mombasa natural gas pipeline, which is expected to be 124–430 km in length, have a 24 inch diameter and run from Ubunga in Dar es Salaam to Vipingo in Mombasa.

The pipeline project is expected to significantly contribute to diversifying energy sources within the region, thereby enhancing security of energy supply.

Mr Nyoike said “Diversification will mitigate the challenges that arise from reliance on a limited type of energy source. It is expected that the project will contribute to the reduction of energy costs and shield power generation from variability of weather and international crude oil prices.”