Museveni Says Uganda Will Pursue a Small Domestic Refinery After Lamu Groundbreaking

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni used the groundbreaking of the Dangote East Africa Refinery in Lamu to outline Uganda's own refining plans. He told attendees that Uganda will move forward with a separate, smaller refinery project intended to process the country's crude rather than exporting it unrefined. Museveni framed the plan as long-standing and not abandoned because Dangote chose to site his larger refinery in Lamu.

Proposed Ugandan refinery: location and scale

Museveni said the facility could be built in Hoima with a capacity between 60,000 and 120,000 barrels. He described the plan as one made "long ago" and intended to serve Uganda and countries in Africa's interior. The central policy point Museveni reiterated is that Uganda should not export its crude without processing it into petroleum products first.

Conversations with Dangote and regional leaders

Museveni said he discussed the refinery idea with Nigerian industrialist Aliko Dangote and with Presidents William Ruto of Kenya and Samia Suluhu of Tanzania. He expressed support for the Lamu project but said Uganda would not invest in that specific facility yet, preferring to hold more talks with Ruto and Suluhu to understand earlier plans for a refinery in Tanzania's Tanga.

Context on the Dangote Lamu refinery

Regional implications and policy reasoning

Museveni did not announce financing, partners, a construction timeline or a firm site beyond the mention of Hoima as a possible location. He said Uganda would pursue its refinery plan and hold further discussions with regional leaders before committing investments in the Lamu project. The remarks came in the company of other regional and African figures at the Lamu ceremony, signalling that the issue remains active at the highest political level.

The Lamu groundbreaking gathered presidents, business figures and regional officials. Museveni was among leaders and business figures present, alongside President William Ruto and Aliko Dangote. Other attendees included visiting African leaders and officials involved in regional petroleum projects.

Uganda intends to build its own small refinery—likely in Hoima at 60,000–120,000 barrels capacity—to process crude before export. Museveni supports the Lamu refinery but will not yet invest there and plans further talks with Kenyan and Tanzanian counterparts about regional refinery siting and prior Tanga proposals.