Tanzania and Uganda signed a bilateral agreement to build a natural gas pipeline. The pipeline will carry natural gas from Tanzania’s south to Uganda, which will power factories and generate electricity.
Deputy Prime Minister Doto Biteko of Tanzania and Minister of Energy and Mineral Development Ruth Nankabirwa of Uganda signed the agreement.
Biteko said the project will boost gas extraction in Tanzania’s Lindi and Mtwara regions, where about 57.54 trillion cubic feet of natural gas have been discovered.
He also said that Kenya and Botswana are interested in Tanzania’s natural gas.
He said that the agreement follows a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by the two countries in August 2018 and that the two countries will conduct a feasibility study to assess the project’s design, gas demand, pipeline size, and other factors.
Tanzania and Uganda officially sign Gas Pipeline Deal.
Today with the Deputy Prime Minister of Tanzania, on behalf of @GovUganda I signed a bilateral Agreement between Tanzania and Uganda to Implement the Construction of the Natural Gas Pipeline Project from Tanzania to Uganda. pic.twitter.com/2kmnGFqsgQ
— Ruth Nankabirwa Ssentamu (@NankabirwaRS) November 9, 2023
Nankabirwa said that Uganda recognizes the importance of the project and is committed to its acceleration.
She urged the joint implementation committee to expedite the procurement process for the lead consultant and the feasibility study.
The Tanzania-Uganda gas pipeline project is a major step in East Africa’s energy integration efforts. It will improve energy security and economic growth in both countries, and it will create jobs and attract foreign investment.