40,000 tonnes of fuel arrive in Mombasa under Kenya-Rwanda deal

MOMBASA, Kenya, Sep 29 — Kenya and Rwanda have activated a new government-backed route for bulk petroleum imports through the Northern Corridor, with the arrival of a 40,000-metric-tonne cargo in Mombasa marking the first shipment under the new framework.

The maiden consignment, carried by MT Sea Wolf, was received at the Kenya Pipeline Company’s Kipevu Oil Terminal 2 (KOT2) on Tuesday, opening a new supply route for Rwanda’s refined petroleum products through Kenya’s port, pipeline and storage infrastructure.

Kenya’s Energy and Petroleum Cabinet Secretary James Opiyo Wandayi said the agreement could significantly increase petroleum volumes transiting the Northern Corridor, with the two countries projecting a tenfold growth over the coming years.

“This framework is projected to grow the volume of petroleum products moving through our Northern Corridor to Rwanda tenfold over the coming years,” Wandayi said.

“That is a vote of confidence, not just in a pipeline or a port, but in Kenya as a nation, in our institutions, our regulatory environment and our ability to deliver on our word.”

The development gives Kenya a larger role in Rwanda’s fuel supply chain while positioning the Northern Corridor as a key route for the landlocked country’s petroleum imports.

Wandayi said the arrangement would further strengthen Kenya’s position as a regional energy and logistics hub.

“It cements our position as the logistics and energy transit hub of the East African Community (EAC), and it is a tangible expression of the deeper economic integration we are building with our neighbours,” he said.

Fuel supply routes

For Rwanda, the agreement is also aimed at reducing exposure to disruptions along individual supply routes as the country seeks to diversify how it imports petroleum products.

Rwanda State Minister for Infrastructure Armand Zingiro said the country, which imports all its petroleum products, had been compelled to reassess the resilience of its fuel supply chains following disruptions linked to instability beyond its borders.

“Rwanda is a landlocked country that imports all of its petroleum products, and this year has reminded us how quickly instability far from our borders can be felt at our fuel pumps,” Zingiro said.

“Our Government’s response has been deliberate, to diversify our import routes and reduce our exposure to any single corridor or supplier.”

Zingiro said Rwanda was simultaneously developing another import route through Tanzania’s Port of Tanga, with the Kenya arrangement providing an additional option for securing fuel supplies.

He said the Kenya framework moves the relationship beyond largely commercial transactions to direct government-to-government coordination over the procurement, transportation and storage of petroleum products.

“The framework with Kenya, alongside the new route Rwanda has opened through the Port of Tanga, is the practical expression of that strategy,” Zingiro said.

G-to-G framework

The new arrangement follows a Memorandum of Understanding signed on June 29, 2026, between Kenya’s Ministry of Energy and Petroleum and Rwanda’s Ministry of Trade and Industry.

It is supported by a tripartite agreement involving the two ministries and Rwanda National Energy Company (RNEC), as well as a Transport and Storage Agreement between RNEC and Kenya Pipeline Company.

The latter provides for the transportation, storage, scheduling and handling of Rwanda’s petroleum imports through Kenya’s pipeline and terminal infrastructure.

The two governments said the arrangement is expected to improve supply-chain efficiency and reduce logistics costs for Rwanda’s petroleum sector while strengthening energy security and regional trade.