President Yoweri Kaguta Tibuhaburwa Museveni has explained why he requested Tanzania’s president Samia Hassan Suluhu to sign oil pipeline deals on April 11, the same day Idi Amin Dada.
On April 11, 1979, Tanzanian soldiers helped Ugandan freedom fighters oust Amin.
“I thank President Suluhu for accepting my sentimental request for the signing to be held today, April 11,” said Museveni.
“It is today, 42 years ago, that Lt. Col Oyite Ojok announced the Tanzania army TPDF and UNLA victory over Idi Amin.”
Officials from the Tanzanian and Ugandan governments, and oil companies CNOOC and Total signed the East African Crude Oil Pipeline agreement to enable the ferrying of oil from Uganda’s town of Hoima to the port of Tanga.
The parties signed the Host Government Agreement and the Tariff and Transportation Agreement.
The deals are worth over $10bn.
On the long journey to the agreements, Museveni said: “I originally preferred an oil refinery only because of the high demand in the East African region that imports a lot to serve their markets.
“The oil companies were biased for crude oil exports and a pipeline. The compromise was we have both.”
President Suluhu was glad the deal was an honour to her predecessor John Pombe Magufuli who she said had a lot of interest in the oil pipeline project.
She was also optimistic the project was an opportunity for the strengthening of ties between Tanzania and Uganda.
The head of states also called for more infrastructure development as a way of promoting economic growth in East Africa.
For his part, Total CEO Patrick Pouyanne noted that the deal would pave way for the first oil barrels to be transported through the pipeline in the next four years.
“It’s a very large project one of the largest to be developed on this content. Its more than $10billion dollars. It hasn’t been possible without your commitment,” Pouyanne thanked Museveni and his Tanzanian partners.
“This is the beginning of the journey that will take four years for the oil to start flowing from Uganda to Tanzania.”
Additional reporting: Courtesy
