Uganda toughens as oil bullies close in

As Uganda prepares to start the commercial drilling of its oil, pressure has started setting in causing concern that the mineral may turn out to be a curse rather than a blessing like in many oil producing African countries.

President Yoweri Museveni, while delivering the State of Nation Address at Parliament this week, said some foreigners were pushing the government to export the crude oil to the Kenyan seaport of Mombasa, where it would be refined and sold to regional and international markets.
The foreigners, who he did not name, argue that building a refinery in Uganda would be very expensive, opting for construction of an oil pipeline that will link the oil fields to the Mombasa refinery.

“Some people think Africa is a playing place where you go and play games. NRM (Uganda’s ruling party) is not part of that league,” he said.

“Government is focusing on the development of a refinery in order to produce a wide range of petroleum products for transportation, power supply and domestic use,” he added.

Xinhua