Hoima, Uganda – Uganda’s oil and gas sector remains a flagship pillar of the Economic and Commercial Diplomacy Strategy, owing to its anticipated contribution to economic growth, export diversification, industrialisation, infrastructure expansion, and improved livelihoods. In this context, a delegation from the Regional Economic Cooperation Department, with support from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development, and the Petroleum Authority of Uganda, undertook a field visit from 8th to 12th December 2025 to assess progress on the Tilenga and Kingfisher upstream oil projects, the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP), and associated enabling infrastructure.
The mission focused on evaluating the status of project development and Uganda’s preparedness for the production of First Oil. At the Tilenga project, overall progress stands at approximately 60 percent, with 150 out of the planned 420 wells drilled to date. Construction of the Central Processing Facility, with a capacity of 190,000 barrels per day, is significantly advanced, alongside the installation of 95 kilometers of feeder pipelines connecting the project to EACOP. The Kingfisher project has achieved about 74 percent completion, with all wells for First Oil already drilled and the 40,000 barrels-per-day processing facility nearing completion.
Construction of the 1,443-kilometer heated EACOP, extending from Kabaale in Hoima District to Tanga Port in Tanzania, has surpassed 75 percent completion. The projects have generated over 20,000 skilled and semi-skilled jobs, while host communities have benefited from compensation, resettlement housing, livelihood programs, scholarships, and improved social services.
Significant progress was also observed in supporting infrastructure, notably the near-completion of Kabalega International Airport and the operationalization of the Luwero Industries Waste Management Facility. Overall, the visit confirmed substantial readiness for commercial oil production and reinforced Uganda’s positioning as a responsible and reliable regional energy producer.
The delegation from the Regional Economic Cooperation Department at the Minstry of Foreign Affairs pose in front of the central processing facility at Kasemene 1. (Photo Credit: REC Department, MoFA)
