Uganda turns to Tanzania for petroleum importation after disputes with Kenya

After being frustrated by Kenya for a long time, Uganda is now seeking the help of Tanzania as it searches for a way to import petrol.

Tanzania has greeted Uganda’s plan to use the Dar es Salaam Port for its petroleum products with open arms after recent meetings with officials from both countries.

The state-owned Uganda National Oil Company’s (Unoc) plan to take over sole importation of petroleum products despite being legalised by Ugandan laws is said to have been frustrated by Kenya since September last year.

Uganda’s minister for Energy and Mineral Development, Ms Ruth Nankabirwa, told local media early this week that Kenya’s continuous frustration with the Unoc deal threatened Uganda’s fuel supply stability.

“You can’t sit there and be at the mercy of one person. So far, I have met the President of Tanzania; my president sent me as an envoy, and we are in discussion,” she said.

“So, we know that the alternative route might be expensive because of the logistics that are involved, but we also know that there is a possibility of a negotiation with the government of Tanzania to waive some taxes so that their sister country can be able to do business,” added Ms Nankabirwa.

This new development has a lot of implications for cross-border trade between the three East African countries as Uganda continues to align more with Tanzania on major energy projects.