Uganda suspends launch of oil pipeline project to mourn Magufuli

By Wilson Kakuru On Mar 24, 2021 1,323

President John Magufuli and his Ugandan counterpart, Yoweri Museveni, in a tete-a-tete during one of the visits by the latter to Tanzania. The two leaders have successfully led good diplomatic relations between the two countries. Under the relationship, the East African Oil Pipeline worth over $3.5 billion would be constructed from Hoima in Uganda to Tanga port in Tanzania. PHOTO | FILE

Uganda has suspended the launch of the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) project to mourn the death of Tanzanian President John Pombe Magufuli who the country says was instrumental in conception of the project.

Petroleum Authority of Uganda (PAU), in a statement issued here on Tuesday, said the launch has been deferred to next month.

“President Magufuli’s astute leadership set a strong foundation for the EACOP project, with key milestones that included the Inter-Governmental Agreement in 2017, and initialling of the Tanzania Host Government Agreement in 2020,” the statement said.

Construction of the 1,445-km oil pipeline from the oil wells in western Uganda to Tanzania’s seaport of Tanga is scheduled to start soon, according to the Ugandan government.

The 3.55-billion-US-dollar pipeline will be the longest electrically heated pipeline in the world. It is heated because of the waxy nature of Uganda’s oil. Uganda has so far discovered over 6.5 billion barrels of oil.