Kenya expects the volume of petroleum products transported to Rwanda through the Northern Corridor to increase tenfold in the coming years following a new framework for bulk fuel imports between the two countries.
Energy and Petroleum Cabinet Secretary James Opiyo Wandayi said the agreement would strengthen Kenya’s position as a regional logistics and energy transit hub while deepening economic integration within the East African Community.
Wandayi spoke on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, at Kipevu Oil Terminal 2 during a ceremony to mark the arrival of Rwanda National Energy Company’s (RNEC) maiden fuel cargo.
The MT Sea Wolf arrived carrying 40,000 metric tonnes of refined petroleum products, a consignment Wandayi said was equivalent to close to a full month’s consumption for Rwanda.
The shipment follows the framework documentation signed by the Kenyan and Rwandan governments on June 29 for the importation of bulk refined petroleum products into Rwanda.
Kenya positions itself as Rwanda’s fuel gateway
Wandayi said the latest shipment demonstrated Kenya’s readiness to serve as Rwanda’s gateway to international energy markets, with petroleum products moving through the port of Mombasa and the Northern Corridor.
“For Kenya, this is about more than a single cargo,” the CS said, noting that the framework is projected to increase the volume of petroleum products moving through the Northern Corridor to Rwanda tenfold over the coming years.
He said the projected growth represented confidence in Kenya’s port, pipeline infrastructure, institutions and regulatory environment.
According to Wandayi, the development would further cement Kenya’s position as an energy and logistics transit hub for the East African Community, while supporting regional economic integration under the EAC and the African Continental Free Trade Area.
KPA, KPC to support fuel route
The Cabinet Secretary said the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) and Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) would play a central role in ensuring efficient movement of Rwanda-bound petroleum products.
KPA will handle the arrival and discharge of vessels at the Port of Mombasa, while KPC will transport the products through its pipeline and storage network, with the Kisumu Oil Jetty providing an additional link to the lake route.
Wandayi said the two institutions would provide Rwanda with a seamless supply route from Mombasa to its market.
He added that Kenya would provide a transit environment designed to guarantee the long-term security of supply of bulk refined petroleum products to Rwanda.
As volumes increase, the government plans to give Rwanda-bound cargo the operational flexibility required while continuing to support investments in infrastructure supporting the route.
“This is a long-term partnership, not a one-off gesture,” Wandayi said.
Lamu refinery to provide additional supply
Wandayi said Kenya’s role in Rwanda’s petroleum supply chain could expand further, with the country expected to provide Rwanda with refined products from the Lamu Refinery once it becomes operational.
He said this would give Rwanda and the wider region an additional source of petroleum products.
The CS linked the partnership to wider regional fuel security, saying predictable petroleum supplies would support trade, industry and livelihoods across the EAC.
The arrival of the MT Sea Wolf was formally marked during the ceremony, with Wandayi joining Rwanda’s Minister of State in the Ministry of Infrastructure, Armand Zingiro, to flag in the vessel and activate the new fuel supply route.
Read: Lamu Oil Refinery: All You Need To Know About Multi-trillion Refinery
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