The Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC) has clarified that the first shipment of petroleum products through the Kenyan port of Mombasa was planned and coordinated with the Kenyan authorities.

UNOC said that any issues around the shipment were resolved through discussions between the governments of Uganda and Kenya.

According to a statement released by UNOC on July 12, 2024, the importation of these petroleum products, including 65,000 metric tons (MT) of diesel, was a planned and coordinated effort between the governments of Uganda and Kenya.

“The supply planning and vessel scheduling were led by the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum of Kenya, with UNOC’s allocation being discussed and agreed upon during a meeting held in Nairobi from May 22–31, 2024,” the statement read in part.

The statement further clarified that the delivery of UNOC’s 80,000 MT shipment was recognized to affect the planned delivery of a portion of the transit diesel to Uganda through a government-to-government arrangement, which was earlier scheduled for June 2024.

However, UNOC stated that the governments of Uganda and Kenya reached an understanding to adjust the G-2-G arrangement to accommodate UNOC’s shipment.

UNOC highlighted that the cargo ship SINBAD, carrying 80,000 MT of diesel, was allowed to fully discharge at the Mombasa Port in July 2024, with 28,000 MT being discharged to the terminal and the remaining 52,000 MT to the KPC Terminals in Mombasa.

UNOC further communicated to Ugandan oil marketing companies that the earlier allocated monthly demand of 80,000 MT will be split, with UNOC providing 65,000 MT and the remaining portion coming from government-to-government delivery to meet the July 2024 demand.

UNOC sought to correct the impression created by misleading media reports regarding its first shipment of petroleum products through the Kenyan port of Mombasa.