Audio By Vocalize

Rwanda will henceforth be using the Port of Mombasa as the import route for its petroleum cargo, as it received 40,000 metric tons of petroleum oil at Kipevu Oil Terminal 2.

The Port of Mombasa will serve as Rwanda’s transport and storage destination after Kenya and Rwanda signed a Memorandum of Understanding, a tripartite agreement and transport and storage agreement in June 29 2026.

The Government-to-Government (G-to-G) fuel importation programme will see Rwanda use Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC’s) network and storage tanks.

The petroleum cargo that arrived aboard MT Sea Wolf was received by Energy Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi, Rwandan Minister of Infrastructure Hon. Armand Zingiro alongside the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA), Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA), and Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA).

Wandayi said that the arrival of MT Sea Wolf at the Kipevu Oil Terminal 2 marks the activation of the Kenya route for Rwanda’s petroleum imports while strengthening the two countries energy cooperation and further reinforcing the Port of Mombasa’s role as a gateway for regional petroleum supply.

“This is a proud milestone for Kenya and for our partnership with Rwanda. The arrival of this maiden cargo through Kipevu is the practical result of nearly three years of close collaboration between our two governments, and it confirms Kenya’s position as an important logistics gateway for the region,” said Wandayi.

He affirmed Kenya’s commitment to working with Rwanda to ensure reliable, efficient and secure energy supplies for years to come.

Through the agreement, Kenya now reclaims its 90 per cent lost market for petroleum logistics sector from Tanzania that enjoyed a decade long monopoly as a route for Rwanda’s fuel products.

In its efforts to retain and attract Rwanda, KPC extended its storage window for products owned by RNEC to 90 days, up from the standard 35 days permitted for other oil firms.

“The petroleum products transiting through Kenya will grow more than 10 folds from 50,000 cubic metres per year to over 500,000 cubic metres,” said Wandayi.

Zingiro revealed that the activation is the outcome of a framework developed by the two governments to re-establish the Northern Corridor as a key route for Rwanda’s refined petroleum imports, capitalising on Kenya’s port infrastructure, pipeline network and logistics ecosystem.

He said that the framework is underpinned by a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Kenya’s Ministry of Energy and Petroleum (MoEP) and Rwanda’s Ministry of Trade and Industry signed on June 29, 2026.

This is also a Tripartite Agreement involving the two Ministries, the Rwanda National Oil Company (RNEC), and a Transport and Storage Agreement between the (KPC) and RNEC covering the transportation, storage, scheduling and handling of Rwanda’s petroleum imports through Kenya’s pipeline and terminal infrastructure.

“Today’s ceremony marks the culmination of a shared vision between Rwanda and Kenya to strengthen our energy security through regional cooperation. This new route through the Northern Corridor will give Rwanda a reliable and cost-effective way to import refined petroleum products our economy depends on,” said Zingiro.

The Minister was optimistic that the partnership ⁠would boost security and continuity of petroleum supply, free up logistical bottlenecks and make import flows more predictable.

Zingiro said the deal supports Rwanda’s strategy to diversify import routes, strengthen fuel security and make petroleum products available for economic growth and industrial development.

Being a land locked country, Rwanda has been importing most of its petroleum cargo through the port of Dar es Salaam with Kenya only getting 10 percent of the market share.