Museveni heads to Tanzania as oil export plan nears reality

President Yoweri Museveni on Wednesday began a two-day working visit to Tanzania, with progress on the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (Eacop) expected to top the agenda in talks with his Tanzanian counterpart, Samia Suluhu Hassan.

After two decades of policy development and negotiations with international oil companies, Uganda is edging closer to commercial oil production. Officials say the first of the upstream projects— the Kingfisher oilfield development—is on track for launch on August 31.

Museveni’s trip, his second to Tanzania in six months, highlights the country’s central role in Uganda’s oil ambitions. Once completed, Eacop will transport Uganda’s crude oil to the Tanzanian port of Tanga for export to international markets. Beyond earning transit revenues, Tanzania has become a key strategic partner in unlocking Uganda’s oil resources.

According to a statement from the Ugandan presidency, Museveni and Hassan are also expected to discuss bilateral trade, power infrastructure, regional integration, and security cooperation.