Rwanda Receives Maiden 40,000-Tonne Fuel Shipment Through New Kenya Supply Route

Rwanda has received its first consignment of 40,000 metric tonnes of refined petroleum products through a new supply route using Kenya’s port, pipeline and transport infrastructure.

Speaking on Tuesday, September 29, Energy Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi said the consignment, which arrived aboard MT Sea Wolf at Kipevu Oil Terminal 2 at the Port of Mombasa, is Rwanda National Energy Company’s (RNEC) maiden cargo.

He said the arrival of the vessel demonstrated Kenya’s readiness to serve as Rwanda’s gateway to international energy markets through the Northern Corridor.

"It is a moment of immense pride for me, as Cabinet Secretary of Energy and Petroleum, to join you at Kipevu Oil Terminal 2 this morning to witness this historic occasion," he said.

Wandayi said the June agreement had established the basis for Kenya to support Rwanda’s energy security by providing access to its port and petroleum infrastructure.

On June 29, the two governments signed framework documentation on the importation of bulk refined petroleum products for Rwanda. 

Wandayi said the arrival of MT Sea Wolf confirmed that Kenya was prepared to become Rwanda’s preferred route for petroleum imports through the Northern Corridor.

He said the agreement was expected to significantly increase petroleum volumes transported through Kenya to Rwanda in the coming years.

"For Kenya, this is about more than a single cargo. This framework is projected to grow the volume of petroleum products moving through our Northern Corridor to Rwanda tenfold over the coming years. 

"That is a vote of confidence, not just in a pipeline or a port, but in Kenya as a nation, in our institutions, our regulatory environment and our ability to deliver on our word," he added.

Wandayi said the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) would play a central role in ensuring the efficient handling of petroleum cargo arriving through the route.

"A gateway is only as strong as the institutions that run it. KPA stands at the front line of this route. From berthing vessels such as MT Sea Wolf to the safe and efficient discharge of their cargo, it ensures that product moves reliably from ship to shore," he further said.

Wandayi said KPA would work alongside the Kenya Pipeline Company to move the petroleum products from the Port of Mombasa through Kenya’s pipeline and storage infrastructure.

He said Kenya had committed to providing a reliable transit environment for Rwanda-bound petroleum products as the partnership expands.

"It works hand in hand with KPC PLC, which carries the product onward through its pipeline and storage network and, through the Kisumu Oil Jetty, along the lake route. Together, the two institutions give Rwanda a seamless path from the Port of Mombasa to its market.

"Our obligation to Rwanda is simple and firm. Kenya will provide a transit environment that guarantees the security of supply of bulk refined petroleum products over the long term. That commitment goes beyond this ceremony. It means directing our state agencies to give Rwanda-bound cargo the operational flexibility it needs as volumes grow, and it means continued Government support for investment in the national infrastructure that underpins this route. This is a long-term partnership, not a one-off gesture," he noted.

The event was attended by Rwanda’s Minister of State in the Ministry of Infrastructure, Armand Zingiro, Rwanda National Energy Company Director Chris Twagirimana, Kenya Ports Authority Managing Director Captain William Kipkemboi Ruto and Kenya Pipeline Company PLC Acting Managing Director Pius Mwendwa.

Elsewhere, President William Ruto has said court cases challenging the launch of the Dangote Refinery in Lamu were being sponsored by individuals with selfish interests.

Speaking in Kilifi on Tuesday, he accused them of trying to blackmail investor Aliko Dangote into ceding shares of the refinery, or else they would frustrate the entire process.

Ruto told the 'middlemen' that he will not allow them to do so with the Lamu project, adding that the practice has driven out investors from the country in past regimes, including when Dangote wanted to put up a cement factory in the country.

"You are the sponsors of those court cases because you are against this investment since you have not gotten what you have been getting. You are undermining the investment in our country, and I will not allow you.

"When you have a government that, instead of facilitating investors, you are giving conditions and demands, that is how we have driven away investment. That is how we lost the Uganda crude oil pipeline and the Dangote Cement factory," he stated.

Ruto confirmed that the government and Kenyans would have a stake in the Dangote Refinery. He stated that the share will be sold competitively at the Nairobi Securities Exchange and will not be a preserve of the elite.

"All Kenyans will have a chance to buy shares through a transparent process at the NSE. Those of you who have shares everywhere, including Kenya Power, don't assume that you are the only ones who know how to buy them," he added.

Ruto confirmed that the refinery groundbreaking will proceed on September 30 as scheduled.