Kenya’s President William Ruto has announced that Kenya is preparing to invest in Uganda’s planned oil refinery, as East African leaders push for deeper collaboration in strategic infrastructure and energy development.
Ruto made the remarks while speaking at the Africa We Build Summit 2026, currently underway in Nairobi, Kenya. The high-level summit has brought together Heads of State, government officials, private sector leaders, and development partners to explore practical ways of moving Africa’s infrastructure agenda from planning to full-scale implementation.
The Summit focuses on accelerating regional connectivity, financing infrastructure, and strengthening partnerships that can drive Africa’s long-term socio-economic transformation.
In his address, Ruto highlighted ongoing discussions with Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni, who is among the regional leaders attending the summit.
Ruto revealed that the two leaders had discussed reciprocal investments in oil infrastructure, including Kenya’s participation in Uganda’s refinery project, alongside Uganda’s earlier interest in Kenya’s oil pipeline network.
“Just as you invested in the pipeline, Kenya will invest in your refinery and in the shared future of our resources,” Ruto said, emphasizing a mutual approach to regional energy development.
He framed the proposed investments as part of a broader vision of East African energy integration, aimed at strengthening value addition, reducing export dependency, and ensuring that natural resources directly benefit regional economies.
Ruto also commended Museveni’s leadership in managing Uganda’s oil sector, describing him as firm in resisting external pressure on how the country should handle its petroleum resources.
He noted that Museveni had chosen long-term strategic value over short-term gains, particularly in ensuring that Uganda’s oil is developed within a structured national and regional framework.
According to Ruto, Museveni emphasized the importance of avoiding undervaluation of strategic assets, insisting on sustainable and mutually beneficial investment arrangements.
The Africa We Build Summit 2026 has placed strong emphasis on turning infrastructure commitments into tangible projects across the continent, particularly in transport, energy, industrialization, and cross-border trade systems.
Ruto said such partnerships are essential for unlocking Africa’s economic potential, adding that infrastructure should no longer remain at the level of policy declarations but must be translated into executable projects.
He is expected to hold a series of bilateral meetings with fellow African leaders, investors, and development partners during the summit, focusing on strengthening regional collaboration and accelerating infrastructure delivery.
The renewed engagement between Kenya and Uganda reflects a broader East African push to integrate energy systems, improve logistics corridors, and maximize returns from natural resources.
Analysts say the proposed refinery and pipeline investments could significantly reshape oil value chains in the region, enhancing both countries’ positions in Africa’s emerging energy market.
