By: Our Reporter
Kampala –
The Governments of Uganda and Tanzania on Monday held a high-level stakeholder meeting at the Ministry of Energy in Dar es Salaam to review progress on the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) project, as preparations continue for a joint project site tour.
The Ugandan delegation was led by the Minister of Energy and Mineral Development, Dr Ruth Nankabirwa, and included senior government and industry officials: Eng Geoffrey Ogwang, Acting Commissioner for the Midstream Department; and Eng Herbert Mugizi, Acting Commissioner and EACOP Project Coordinator.
Others were Mathias Katamba, Board Chairman of the Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC); Zulaika Mirembe Kasaija, Board Chair of the National Pipeline Company (NPC); John Bosco Habomugisha, Deputy Managing Director of EACOP; and Tony Otoa, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at UNOC.
They were hosted by Tanzania’s Minister for Energy, Deogratius Ndejembi, alongside senior officials from the Tanzanian Ministry of Energy and key sector institutions.
During the meeting, the two sides reviewed the overall status of the EACOP project, which had reached 79 percent completion by the end of December 2025.
Officials reaffirmed their shared objective of achieving readiness for start-up by July 31, 2026, with first crude oil exports expected in October 2026.
In her remarks, Nankabirwa congratulated Tanzania on its recently concluded elections and conveyed appreciation to the President of Tanzania for the continued political and institutional support extended to the EACOP project.
She emphasized the pipeline’s strategic importance in enabling Uganda’s crude oil to access international markets through the Tanzanian coast.
She also underscored the need for leaders from both countries to assess progress on the ground, noting that the upcoming site tour would provide a clearer picture of construction milestones and readiness.
Nankabirwa invited her Tanzanian counterpart to visit Uganda to inspect key facilities, including Pump Station One, one of the critical installations along the pipeline route.
Beyond infrastructure, she highlighted the broader socio-economic impact of the project, citing job creation, skills transfer and capacity building for local communities and national institutions in both countries.
