
The Ugandan government plans to use a portion of a proposed $2 billion loan backed by global oil trader Vitol to acquire a stake in the Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC), according to a finance ministry brief submitted to parliament.
The move comes as Kenya prepares to divest up to 60% of the state-owned pipeline operator through an initial public offering (IPO).
Kenyan President William Ruto recently confirmed the privatisation drive, which aims to raise approximately KES 60 billion ($460 million) while maintaining a strategic government interest.
In the request to lawmakers, Uganda’s Ministry of Finance stated that the borrowing would support critical oil-sector investments, giving Uganda a stake in the energy infrastructure has long relied on for fuel imports via Kenya’s Mombasa port.
Beyond the KPC acquisition, the funds are earmarked for expanding fuel storage, pipeline infrastructure, and refinery projects.
The state-owned Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC) will undertake the borrowing. Repayments are expected to be secured against revenues from fuel sales and upcoming oil-related projects as Uganda prepares to begin crude production later this decade.
KPC operates more than 1,700 miles of pipeline linking the port of Mombasa to Nairobi and western Kenya. The network is vital to Uganda’s energy security, currently handling roughly 90% of the country’s petroleum imports.
President Ruto has encouraged East African participation in the IPO, framing the pipeline as a "regional facility."
"I want to encourage Ugandans and East Africans to equally invest," Ruto said during a recent visit to eastern Uganda, noting that shares would be available to both public entities and private citizens across the region.
The acquisition aligns with a broader push for regional infrastructure co-ownership. Finance officials noted that holding a stake in KPC would grant Uganda greater control over its fuel supply logistics at a time when global financing for fossil fuel projects has tightened due to the energy transition.























