Uganda leaves first-oil date open until June 2027

What the report says

Uganda Business News reports that Uganda has pushed its first-oil timeline into a broader window ending in June 2027 after equipment delays linked to the Middle East war slowed work on the country’s oilfields and export pipeline. The update comes after an earlier mid-year target was missed, and officials are now saying production should begin before the end of the current financial year, which finishes on June 30. The report attributes the latest timeline to Kristina Kasebayo of the Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC), speaking at the African Energy Week conference in Cape Town.

The article says the East African Crude Oil Pipeline, a 1,443-kilometre line to Tanzania’s port of Tanga, was 92% complete. It also notes that the three linked projects needed for first oil — EACOP, Tilenga and Kingfisher — are progressing at different speeds, with the government telling Parliament this month that overall completion stood at 92% for the pipeline, 78% for Tilenga and 90% for Kingfisher. Officials said some specialist equipment had been rerouted after ports in the region were affected by attacks, adding to delays in metering, electrical and communications systems.

The revised guidance is important because Uganda’s budget assumes petroleum revenue in 2026/27, but the later start could narrow the period available for receipts in the current year. The story also places the delay in context: earlier company and government forecasts had pointed to a 2026 start, and Uganda has been trying to bring production, pipeline commissioning and export readiness together before commercial sales can begin.