Africa-Press – Tanzania. Uganda is in advanced talks with Tanzania over plans to develop a pipeline for the transportation of refined petroleum products.
Officials of the two countries say the deal will strengthen regional energy security and reduce reliance on existing import routes.
The talks follow a meeting between President Yoweri Museveni and his Tanzanian counterpart, Samia Suluhu Hassan, on February 7, 2026, during which the two leaders agreed to fast-track plans for a pipeline linking Uganda to Tanzania’s port of Tanga.
”Today in Dar es Salaam, I held fruitful bilateral talks with H.E. Samia Suluhu Hassan. We agreed to deepen Uganda–Tanzania cooperation in energy, trade, infrastructure and regional peace,” Museveni wrote on social media platform X.“We reviewed progress on key projects, including the EACOP, which is on course, as well as plans for gas and refined oil pipelines that will strengthen our shared energy security and position Tanzania as a key export corridor for Uganda,” he added.
The proposed infrastructure would enable Uganda to export refined petroleum products while also allowing for the importation of fuel during the interim period before completion of the country’s planned $4 billion refinery.
Officials familiar with the project said feasibility studies are nearing completion, with implementation expected to begin within six months, subject to final approvals.The pipeline is expected to complement the ongoing construction of the 1,443-kilometre East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP), which will transport crude oil from Uganda’s Lake Albert oilfields to Tanzania’s coast.
The proposed pipeline is expected to operate as a two-way system, allowing Uganda to import refined petroleum products from Tanzania before its refinery becomes operational, and later export processed fuels through Tanga once domestic refining capacity is in place.
Currently, Uganda relies on Kenya for about 90 per cent of its refined petroleum product imports.
Uganda is one of Kenya’s largest and most critical markets, contributing an estimated 35 percent of the company’s annual revenue and about 95 percent of its foreign exchange earnings.
Through the Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC), Uganda secures fuel imports via Kenya’s port of Mombasa and transports them to Eldoret.
Ugandan officials say the proposed Tanzania pipeline is part of a broader strategy to diversify energy supply routes, reduce exposure to single transit corridors, and enhance regional cooperation.
If implemented, the pipeline would position Tanzania as a key export corridor for Uganda’s refined petroleum products while providing an alternative import route during the refinery construction phase.
Government sources said discussions are ongoing, with technical, commercial, and regulatory aspects still under review before a final investment decision is taken.
The project, if approved, would mark another major milestone in regional energy integration, alongside EACOP and planned refinery developments in the Albertine Graben.
