Prime
Museveni rekindles love with Kenya on State visit
Kenya President William Ruto (left) introduces top officials of his government to his Ugandan counterpart Yoweri Museveni in Nairobi during the latter’s State visit on May 16, 2024. PHOTO/ PPU
What you need to know:
- The two countries are reeling from a standoff over importation of petroleum products as well as trade wars.
Uganda’s basket of goodies during President Museveni’s first state visit to Kenya since his counterpart William Ruto took office in September 2022, particularly included a Tripartite Agreement that allows the smooth flow of petroleum products from Mombasa to Kampala.
When the government through Uganda National Oil Company (Unoc) last year inked a joint venture deal with crisis-laden Vitol Bahrain to facilitate direct imports of petroleum products from the Middle East to circumvent leechy middlemen, a section of aggrieved parties in Kenya immediately filed a court case at Machakos High Court seeking orders to toss away the deal.
President Ruto, according to diplomatic sources, “is Kampala regime’s man” and largely seen as a protégé of President Museveni in power since 1986. However, sources indicated, it appeared as though Mr Ruto was getting bogged down by bureaucracy and national interests, which as the Head of State, has to put first.
Kampala counter-sued Kenya at the East African Court of Justice, the treaty-based judicial body of the eight-member East African Community (EAC) regional bloc, on December 28th last year but wasted no time in starting a romance with Tanzania over the same deal.
Uganda and Tanzania are already in advanced stages of developing the $4b (Shs15 trillion) East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) from Hoima to Tanga Port; for long have been in discussions on an electric Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) line winding at the Lake Victoria Mwanza port to facilitate cargo haulage to Port Bell in Luzira; and on November 10, 2023 signed a feasibility study for a reverse Liquefied natural gas (LNG) pipeline.
Kenya lost out on the EACOP deal in April 2016 largely on technical grounds, including the security situation at Lamu Port in the environs of the Al-Shabaab militants. However, losing Uganda’s fuel importation deal to Tanzania would evoke a sense of déjàvu for Mr Ruto; he was deputy President when the EACOP deal slipped away.
Follow-up visit
On the evening of February 27 this year, photos surfaced of Mr Ruto and his erstwhile archrival Raila Odinga meeting President Museveni at his Kisozi farm. The private meeting covered among others Kenya fronting Mr Odinga as the African Union Commission chairmanship, and Nairobi untangling Uganda’s fuel importation deal.
On March 22, the case filed at Machakos High Court was withdrawn. Energy Minister Irene Nankabirwa flew to Nairobi for talks with Mr Ruto on March 25. Last Friday, Unoc executives signed two agreements, A Tripartite Agreement, and Transport and Storage Agreement, with the Kenya Pipeline Company detailing, among others rights, and responsibilities in the process of importation of petroleum products; kerosene, diesel, petrol, and jet fuel.
Unoc is the statutory body mandated to manage the country’s commercial interests in the nascent oil sector, including marketing of the country’s share of petroleum received in kind, and to develop in depth expertise in the oil and gas industry.
Yesterday, Presidents Museveni and Ruto witnessed the signing of a Tripartite Agreement between Kenya and Uganda in relation to the same deal. Junior Energy minister Sidronius Okaasai and the Unoc chief executive officer, Ms Proscovia Nabbanja, signed on behalf of Uganda.
The two principals also witnessed signing of six other MoUs on cooperation in foreign service to enhance exchange of information on structure and content of cross training of diplomats; on public service management to enhance service delivery; on youth affairs to promote establishment of relations between youth institutions; on sports to provide a framework for effective collaboration in sports development; on education and scientific; on small and medium size enterprises to foster exchange of information and legislative expertise; and on gender and women development.
President Ruto described Mr Museveni’s visit as of “profound significance we, as leaders, attach to the bilateral relations between Kenya and Uganda, and to our shared commitment to further develop and grow them.”
“Kenya and Uganda are firmly united by relations deeply rooted in shared history, culture, and aspirations for regional peace and prosperity. We recognise the importance of maintaining strong bilateral relations and are committed to expanding them for the mutual benefit of our people,” Mr Ruto said at a joint press conference at State House, Nairobi.
On EAC integration
President Museveni underscored the importance of deepening the EAC integration and liberating Africa from the bondage of neo colonialism which he described as a “historical mission.”
“There was talk that time of Uhuru na Umoja (freedom and unity) but it was not deeply disassembled. What did Uhuru na Umoja mean? That’s why we have lost six decades and as you can see in Africa we have many problems; the problems of state authority in many countries. But now a cluster of actors including President Ruto and other actors are beginning to see the war forward,” he said.
