Rwanda and Kenya have officially launched a new system for importing petroleum products through the Port of Mombasa, following the arrival of the vessel MT Sea Wolf carrying 40,000 tonnes of refined petroleum products at Kipevu Oil Terminal 2. The shipment is equivalent to nearly one month of Rwanda’s petroleum consumption.
This marks the first time the Rwanda National Energy Company (RNEC) has received petroleum products under the new arrangement established between the governments of Rwanda and Kenya.
The ceremony to receive the vessel was held on September 29, 2026, and attended by Armand Zingiro, Rwanda’s Minister of State in the Ministry of Infrastructure, and James Opiyo Wandayi, Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Energy and Petroleum.
Zingiro said the arrival of MT Sea Wolf at Kipevu marks the implementation of an agreement that the two countries had been preparing for several months. “In recent months, our two governments worked together to sign an agreement that made what we witnessed this morning possible. Today, the MT Sea Wolf is here carrying 40,000 tonnes of petroleum products. An agreement that was once on paper has now become a reality that will benefit Rwandans.”
Wandayi said the shipment is almost equivalent to Rwanda’s petroleum needs for one month. “The arrival of the MT Sea Wolf, carrying 40,000 tonnes of RNEC petroleum products almost equivalent to Rwanda’s consumption for one month demonstrates Kenya’s readiness to serve as Rwanda’s gateway to international energy markets.”
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Rwanda Expands Petroleum Import Routes
Zingiro said that because Rwanda is a landlocked country and imports all the petroleum products it consumes, transport routes play an important role in ensuring energy security.
He explained that disruptions to international maritime routes and fluctuations in global petroleum prices can quickly affect fuel prices in Rwanda. “This year has reminded us how problems occurring far beyond our borders from disruptions to international maritime transport routes to fluctuations in petroleum prices can quickly reach us.”
He said the government’s response is to expand the number of routes available for transporting petroleum products. The new route through Kenya complements another route Rwanda has established through the Port of Tanga in Tanzania. Zingiro added that the arrangement also shifts the previous system, which relied heavily on commercial agreements between companies, towards greater cooperation between the two governments.
Kenya Expects Increased Petroleum Shipments to Rwanda
Wandayi said the volume of petroleum products transported to Rwanda through the Northern Corridor is expected to increase tenfold in the coming years.
He said this reflects Rwanda’s confidence in Kenya’s infrastructure and its potential to serve as a transport and energy hub in East Africa.
Under the new arrangement, petroleum products will arrive at the Port of Mombasa, where the Kenya Ports Authority will unload them from the vessel. The Kenya Pipeline Company will then transport the products through its pipeline network and storage facilities before they continue to the Rwandan market.
Zingiro said the programme will also support Rwanda’s policy of expanding its capacity to store strategic petroleum reserves.
