East Africa is on the verge of a historic energy breakthrough as Tanzania and Uganda prepare to ship their first crude oil to international markets in July, marking the operational launch of one of the continent’s most ambitious cross-border infrastructure projects. The announcement came directly from Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan following high-level talks with her Ugandan counterpart Yoweri Museveni in Dar es Salaam on Saturday.
The milestone represents the culmination of years of work on the East African Crude Oil Pipeline, a massive undertaking that will transport crude from Uganda’s oil fields in Hoima through 1,443 kilometers of heated pipeline to Tanzania’s Port of Tanga. “We thank God for the progress we have made. The first ship is likely to depart from Tanga carrying crude oil to the market. There are other issues we are still working on,” President Hassan told the media.
The start of oil exports is being positioned not as an isolated event but as the cornerstone of a broader economic transformation strategy for both nations. President Hassan revealed that discussions with President Museveni covered an extensive pipeline of infrastructure projects beyond crude oil, including construction of a natural gas pipeline from Tanzania to Uganda and a refined petroleum products pipeline running from Uganda back to Tanga.
The visit carried special significance as it marked President Museveni’s first foreign trip since securing a seventh term in Uganda’s January 15 election and was the first visit by a foreign head of state to Tanzania since President Hassan’s reelection last October. The two leaders spent the day in private talks before meeting with their ministerial teams to hammer out the details of their cooperation framework.
Port infrastructure emerged as a critical component of the discussions, with Tanzania positioning itself as the maritime gateway for landlocked Uganda and other regional countries. President Hassan said the two nations discussed expanded use of the ports of Dar es Salaam, Tanga and Mtwara to support growing trade flows and energy exports, particularly as oil shipments ramp up in the coming months.
Rail connectivity also featured prominently, with Tanzania briefing Uganda on the proposed railway linking Tanga to Musoma, which would allow cargo to connect to Uganda via Lake Victoria. President Hassan outlined progress on the standard gauge railway from Isaka to Rusaunga and requested Uganda to extend the line to Murongo on its side of the border to create seamless regional rail integration.
President Museveni framed the cooperation in strategic terms, warning that African countries risk remaining vulnerable if they continue operating in isolation. “After independence, we need to combine our efforts. There are emerging threats in our region, and it is important that we work together to address them,” he said.
He recalled the 1965 Kampala Declaration, under which East African countries agreed on coordinated industrial development, with Tanzania focusing on tire production, Uganda on textiles and Kenya on other manufacturing. “We need to return to such a structure. I do not know what went wrong, but this kind of coordination is essential if we are to build strong economies,” Museveni argued.
Beyond economic cooperation, President Hassan thanked Uganda for withdrawing from the contest for the United Nations Security Council seat allocated to East Africa, paving the way for Tanzania to assume the position. In return, Tanzania pledged to support Uganda’s bid for leadership within the African Union.
The July crude oil shipment deadline now looms as the ultimate test of whether years of planning, billions in investment, and complex cross-border coordination can translate into operational reality and transform the economic fortunes of both nations.
Source: thecitizen.co.tz