Stakeholders from the East African Community (EAC) partner states Tuesday met in Mombasa, Kenya to review the Dar es Salaam-Tanga-Mombasa Natural Gas Pipeline Project.

The project is one of the various initiatives championed by the EAC with the aim of streamlining energy systems in the region.

Speaking to The New Times yesterday, the State Minister in Charge of Energy and Water, Eng. Coletha Ruhamya, said the pipeline would significantly contribute to diversifying energy sources within the region.

"Although Rwanda is not connected to the Natural Gas Pipeline Project, our country will get cheap energy from the project because we are members of the EAC,” she stated.

The forum, organised by the EAC Secretariat, brought together key regional stakeholders to consider findings of the feasibility study on the pipeline project that will enhance security of energy supply.

Addressing the forum in Mombasa, Patrick Nyoike the Permanent Secretary in Kenya’s Ministry of Energy noted that, diversification of energy sources would mitigate the challenges that arise from reliance on a limited type of energy sources.

"It is expected the project will contribute to the reduction of energy costs and shield power generation from variability of weather and international crude oil prices,” said Nyoike.

Ruhamya disclosed that transfer of natural gas and oil products through pipelines was identified as key to building energy security in the Community.

She said that the EAC had obtained a grant of close to US$600,000 from the African Development Bank to undertake a study for an oil product pipeline between Kigali and Bujumbura.

The plan is to link Kigali by a pipeline from Kampala, which will allow petroleum products to be accessed from the planned refinery in Uganda, as well as the existing one in Mombasa.

Ends