Kisumu Port made its first oil shipment to Uganda in December, signifying a positive outcome from its revamp. As reported by The Star, the consignment contained 22 wagons loaded with 894,000 liters of diesel.
The fuel was shipped using Kenya Railway line and the refurbished MV Uhuru ferry to the Uganda harbour of Port Bell. This, therefore, revived activity at the facility that had been dormant for more than two decades.
We loaded the product at our Kisumu depot before it was taken by rail and loaded into the vessel (MV Uhuru) for shipment to Uganda.
Kenya Pipeline Company Kisumu depot manager, James Kimaiyos
According to the Energy Ministry of Uganda, the country’s fuel imports as of mid-September 2018 was 85 million litres. Additionally, Uganda’s demand for oil grows at 7% per annum. The 85 million litres comprised of 34.6 million litres of petrol, 42.5 million litres of diesel, and 2.6 million litres of kerosene. Jet fuel imports stood at 5 million litres. 92% of the petroleum products to Uganda were imported through the port of Mombasa.
Kisumu Port, whose revamp cost approximately KSh700 million, will be able to handle both containerized and conventional cargo-carrying capacity of 200,000 metric tonnes. The facility is also set to boost regional trade within the East African Community. This will be made possible by linking the towns of Kisumu, Mwanza and Bukoba, thus creating employment opportunities.
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