President Yoweri Museveni is expected to commission Uganda’s first oil on 15 December 2026 at Pump Station One of the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) in Kabaale, Hoima District.

The ceremony will take place at the critical facility where crude from the Kingfisher and Tilenga fields will be combined before entering the 1,443-kilometre heated pipeline that runs to the port of Tanga in Tanzania.

According to sources familiar with the arrangements, the mid-December date aligns with earlier timelines given to Parliament that the pipeline would be ready to receive crude by mid-December. Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC) officials had previously indicated that the first shipment of Pearl Sweet crude was expected to load into a Suezmax tanker in December 2026.

While the commissioning does not equate to full commercial production or the loading of the first cargo, it represents a highly symbolic moment for Uganda’s long-awaited oil industry. Full production is still projected to begin before the end of the 2026/2027 financial year, which closes on 30 June 2027.

The event is expected to draw senior government officials, industry partners and international observers as Uganda moves closer to joining the ranks of oil-producing nations.