Uganda: Ruto Praises Museveni's 'No Shortcuts' Approach to Uganda's Oil

Kenya's President William Ruto has praised Yoweri Museveni for resisting "easy choices" in managing Uganda's oil resources, saying the approach has helped protect the country's long-term interests.

Speaking at the Africa We Build Summit in Nairobi, Ruto said Uganda could have opted for a quicker path by exporting crude oil without investing in local processing, but instead chose a more strategic direction.

"I want to thank President Museveni for refusing to accept easy choices. He had a choice to allow the oil in Uganda to go the way others would have wanted," Ruto said.

He recalled a past conversation with Museveni about Uganda's oil reserves, noting that the Ugandan leader cautioned against rushed decisions that could undermine the country's future.

"I remember Mzee telling me... some of these people... if we give them a chance, they will sell this oil at a throwaway price and go and buy perfume," Ruto said.

The Kenyan leader warned that such short-term decisions can harm not only individual countries but the wider region.

"A case of people making shortcuts, easy decisions... sabotaging the destiny of a nation and a region," he added.

Uganda has consistently maintained a policy of refining part of its crude locally instead of exporting it entirely in raw form.

The government is pushing ahead with plans to construct a 60,000-barrel-per-day refinery in Hoima District to support industrial growth, create jobs, and reduce dependence on imported fuel.

Museveni has repeatedly said Uganda's crude oil has a ready market and can be used to produce a wide range of products beyond petrol.

The country is targeting first oil production around 2026 or 2027, with a strong emphasis on value addition and building local capacity in the petroleum sector.

Ruto urged African countries to rethink how they utilise natural resources, calling on leaders to prioritise long-term benefits over quick returns.

"I am happy that we will be discussing how we are going to use our resources... not to export to others," he said.

The summit has brought together African leaders, investors, and policymakers to explore ways of moving infrastructure projects from planning to implementation, with a focus on leveraging local resources to drive development.

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