Kenya and Rwanda have sealed a historic fuel deal that will see Kenya handle Rwanda’s bulk petroleum imports through the Port of Mombasa and the Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC).

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The agreement, as seen by  Kenyans.co.ke , signed on Monday, June 29, marks a turning point in regional energy cooperation between the two neighbouring nations.

During the signing ceremony presided over by Energy and Petroleum Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi, the two countries signed a Memorandum of Understanding, a Tripartite Agreement and a Transport and Storage Agreement to operationalise the new fuel import arrangement.

“Today, Kenya and Rwanda sign three documents: the Memorandum of Understanding, the Tripartite Agreement, and the Transport and Storage Agreement, fully opening the Northern Corridor to Rwanda for the import of Bulk Refined Petroleum Products under their G2G arrangement,” stated the statement in part.

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“Kenya is putting its Pipeline, its Port, and its People at the service of Rwanda's energy security. That is what we celebrate today.”

The deal formalises Kenya's role as Rwanda's primary transit route for fuel, putting its pipeline infrastructure, port facilities, and technical capacity at Rwanda's disposal to meet its energy needs.

From the deal, fuel transiting to Rwanda through the Northern Corridor is projected to grow more than tenfold, jumping from roughly 50,000 cubic meters to over 500,000 cubic metres annually.

Rwanda's first cargo under the new arrangement is expected to dock at the Port of Mombasa in September, a milestone both governments are already preparing to mark and celebrate.

Energy bodies such as the Energy Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) stressed that the deal goes beyond logistics. It represents deepening economic integration that is expected to benefit the wider East African Community and the Great Lakes Region for decades.

The Northern Corridor, which runs from Mombasa through Nairobi and onward to landlocked countries in the region, has long been a critical trade artery, and this agreement cements Kenya's role as its anchor.

📰 Source: Kenyans.co.ke