Wednesday, January 31, 2024 - Ugandan Minister
for Energy Ruth Nankabirwa has explained why her government opted to import oil
through Tanzania ahead of a ruling on its diplomatic tiff with Kenya.
While addressing the nation on the progress of the country's
oil and gas sector, the minister acknowledged that the Tanzania route would be
more expensive than the Kenyan one.
However, she maintained that their decision was informed by
the need to prevent a potential fuel shortage crisis.
Uganda's plan to start importing oil on its own in January
this year was hampered by the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA)
which declined to award it a certificate for business.
Uganda hence sued Kenya at the East African Court of
Justice (EACJ), seeking to be granted a licence to operate as an Oil
Marketing Company (OMC).
On the other hand, she noted that Tanzania was likely to
waive taxes for Uganda, making the route more viable in the long run.
"We are prepared for any emergency crisis, ensuring
uninterrupted supply. I have already started engagement with the President of
Tanzania to make sure that the country is secure in terms of supply.”
"You cannot sit there and be at the mercy of one
person. We know that the alternative route might be expensive because of the
logistics involved but we also know that there is a possibility of negotiation
with the government of Tanzania to waive some taxes so that their sister
country can be able to do business," she stated.
On the other hand, the Minister expressed that they would
continue to pursue the interests of its citizens even as they await the court
ruling next month.
"The final ruling of the court case is expected to be
made on January 22 but was deferred to February 12. We are in court, not
because we wanted to but because the government-only oil company was denied a
certificate by EPRA," she added.
The Kenyan DAILY POST
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