The latest developments indicate that Raila Odinga, leader of Azimio, played a role in mediating the differences between President William Ruto and Uganda’s Yoweri Museveni regarding oil imports. President William Ruto and Raila Odinga walking while chatting (l). Ruto greeting with President Yoweri Museveni (r). The trio met at Museveni’s home in Uganda for a meeting. The trio met at Museveni’s countryside home in Kikozi farm on Monday, February 26. How Raila was dragged to the meeting According to reports by NTV Kenya, Museveni had invited Ruto to discuss matters of deepening regional integration within the East Africa Community and to boost the diplomatic ties between Nairobi and Kampala. In light of the oil importation conflicts between Kenya and Uganda, Ruto sought Raila’s assistance in resolving the government-to-government oil deal issues. When did the dispute start? The dispute arose after the Kenyan government decided to deny Uganda National Oil Company access to Kenya’s oil pipeline after Kenya entered an oil import credit deal with three oil-producing companies in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Earlier in January, the landlocked country said it would start importing oil through the Dar es Salaam port in Tanzania after the discord with Kenya. Uganda argued that it was exposed to supply vulnerabilities leading to high pump prices. k “Uganda oil marketers are being considered secondary in cases of supply disruptions. These saw the country receiving relatively costly products impacting the retail pump prices, the country’s Energy Minister Ruth Nankabirwa said.
by Nancy Odindo