|
LISTEN TO THIS THE AFRICANA VOICE ARTICLE NOW
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Kenya and Uganda Thursday signed a tripartite agreement, paving the way for Uganda’s national oil company, UNOC, to import refined petroleum products directly through Kenya.
The announcement follows a period of tension between the two nations regarding oil transportation. Kenya had previously denied UNOC a license to operate locally and utilize the Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) infrastructure. This resulted in Uganda filing a lawsuit against Kenya at the East African Court of Justice in December 2023.
The newly signed agreement marks a positive resolution, as highlighted by Kenyan President William Ruto during a meeting with his Ugandan counterpart, Yoweri Museveni, at State House, Nairobi.
“The Tripartite Agreement on the Importation and Transit of Refined Petroleum Products through Kenya to Uganda… enables UNOC to import refined petroleum commodities directly from producer jurisdictions, thus bringing an end to the challenges faced by the sector in Uganda,” stated President Ruto.
The agreement comes on the heels of the second session of the Joint Ministerial Meeting (JMC) held earlier this week in Kampala, where seven instruments of cooperation were signed. These MoUs aim to address various areas of collaboration, including education, sports, youth affairs, public service development, and foreign service cooperation.
Furthermore, both Presidents agreed to push forward with the extension of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) from Naivasha, Kenya, to Kampala, Uganda, and ultimately to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This expansion is envisioned as a critical infrastructure project to facilitate efficient and sustainable movement of goods across the region.
“The meeting emphasized the importance of extending the SGR… as an efficient and sustainable infrastructural artery for the transportation of goods,” President Ruto remarked. “We have obliged our respective Ministers to mobilize resources for the implementation of this regional shared infrastructure and report on progress by the end of 2024.”
CS Linturi Cleared of Impeachment Charges
Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi Monday May 13th emerged victorious in his impeachment battle after a special parliamentary committee cleared him of all charges. The committee, formed to investigate allegations against CS Linturi, concluded that the grounds for impeachment were unsubstantiated.
“The committee found no evidence to support the claims of gross violation of the constitution, serious crime under national law, or gross misconduct,” the committee stated in its report presented to the National Assembly.
The 11-member committee was tasked with investigating allegations raised by Bumula MP Jack Wamboka in his impeachment motion against CS Linturi. These allegations centered around the procurement and distribution of government-subsidized fertilizer, which is itself under separate investigation due to concerns of being counterfeit.
Despite the cleared charges, the cloud of the fertilizer probe still hangs over CS Linturi. The committee’s decision only addresses the impeachment motion, not the ongoing investigation into the fertilizer itself.
The committee reportedly voted 7-4 in favor of CS Linturi, with seven members siding with his defense. This outcome secures his position within President Ruto’s cabinet, at least for now.
LEAVE A COMMENT
You must be logged in to post a comment.