ENERGY and Minerals Minister Professor Sospeter Muhongo is on Wednesday leading high-ranking delegation from Tanzania to Kampala where the Ugandan government is expected to make announcement of the suitable route for the envisaged pipeline to export its crude oil.
However, media reports from both private and state owned media outlets in Kampala, citing a draft report by a team of Ugandan technocrats, pointed to all signs that officials in that country have recommended the Tanzania route to Tanga Port as the preferable direction for the pipeline.
The announcement is slated to be made today at the 13th Northern Corridor Integration Projects (NCIP) summit in Kampala, which kicked off yesterday with several technical and ministerial meetings ahead of Heads of State meeting today.
Reports from Uganda indicated yesterday that Heads of State from the East African Community (EAC) are expected to attend the summit together with their counterparts from Ethiopia and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
However, when reached for confirmation, neither Acting Director of Presidential Communications, Mr Gerson Msigwa, nor the Head of Communications in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, East African, Regional and International Cooperation, Ms Mindi Kasiga, could tell whether President John Magufuli would attend.
Running under the chairmanship of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, the major highlight of the conference is the impending announcement of the pipeline’s route with all indications pointing to the port of Tanga in Tanzania, the state-owned ‘New Vision’ reported in Kampala on Tuesday.
The newspaper went to quote the Minister for Energy and Minerals in Uganda, Ms Irene Mulomi, who confirmed last week that it would be crucial to announce the route at the summit because it is a critical infrastructure project for the region.
In a telephone interview with this newspaper, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Energy and Minerals, Professor Justin Ntalikwa, confirmed that he will be travelling to Kampala with Minister Muhongo.“As far as I understand, I will be travelling to Kampala to attend the summit together with Prof Muhongo.
I don’t have further information,” Prof Ntalikwa told the ‘Daily News.’ However, reports from Kampala indicated that Heads of State from the six-member states making the East African Community (EAC) namely Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudan are expected to attend the summit.
They will be joined by leaders from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Ethiopia, both crucial partners for infrastructure improvement in the Great Lakes Region.
If all goes as planned, the 24-inch conduit to cover 1,403 kilometres from Kabale (Hoima) to Tanga Port on the shores of Indian Ocean will be implemented at a cost of US $4 billion dollars (about 8tri/-) starting August this year.
Upon completion, the pipeline is expected to transport about 200,000 barrels of crude products from Hoima oil fields in South- Western Uganda for export markets. Total E&P of France has already secured the US $4 billion (roughly 8tri/-) required for the mega project and showed willingness to dishout the funds should the pipeline pass through Tanzania.
“The comprehensive analysis of the different options [routes], studies and due diligence results has been completed,” said the Ugandan technocrats in the report. “The Kabaale-Tanga route is the only option to secure first oil export by mid 2020, with pipeline availability of 99 per cent.”
