MPS inspect key petroleum infrastructure as Uganda nears first oil

What the report says

Members of Parliament on Uganda’s Budget Committee have completed an oversight tour of major petroleum projects as the country moves closer to first oil, according to The Independent Uganda. The visit, led by committee chair Amos Kankunda, took lawmakers to key sites linked to the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP), the Kabaale Industrial Park, the Kingfisher project in Kikuube District and the Tilenga project in Buliisa and Nwoya districts.

The paper reported that the tour was coordinated by the Petroleum Authority of Uganda, the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development and the Uganda National Oil Company. MPs were briefed on project status, budget needs, local content, readiness for production and the transition from construction to commissioning. At EACOP’s Pump Station One, lawmakers reviewed the starting point of the 1,443-kilometre pipeline that will carry crude to Tanzania’s coast.

Project updates cited in the report showed advanced progress across the sector, including EACOP at 92% completion, Tilenga at 78% and Kingfisher at 90%. Officials also discussed the need for continued exploration after first oil, with ministry representatives saying discovered reserves are finite and will eventually decline. That wider point matters because Uganda’s oil plans depend not only on bringing current projects onstream, but also on sustaining production, oversight and related public institutions over the longer term.

Kankunda said the committee wanted to understand lingering risks to the timeline for first oil and to help avoid further delays. The MPs said they were satisfied with the progress so far and pledged continued parliamentary support for the sector.