By David Rupiny
President Yoweri Museveni unveiled the name during an oversight visit to the Kingfisher Development Area, where he presided over the Crude Oil Naming Ceremony. The President officially launched the name of Uganda’s crude oil as “Pearl Sweet.”
President Museveni said the name “marks an important milestone in our journey to develop Uganda’s oil and gas resources for value addition and economic transformation”.
The President reaffirmed that Uganda’s oil resources must be used to build a productive and sustainable economy, rather than repeat mistakes made by some African oil-producing countries.
President Museveni emphasised the importance of an integrated approach to petroleum development, with the refinery, energy generation, industrialisation and human capital development forming part of the broader strategy.
He highlighted the decision to prioritise the development of an oil refinery in Uganda, noting that refining locally would reduce transportation and transit costs associated with exporting crude and subsequently importing petroleum products. He said the refinery would also help reduce Uganda’s petroleum import bill, which he placed at about US$2 billion annually.
The President further emphasised the importance of utilising associated gas rather than flaring it. Gas from the Kingfisher development is expected to support power generation of about 80 megawatts, while other petroleum products will support cooking and other domestic uses. This approach, he noted, will generate economic value while protecting the environment.
President Museveni commended the oil companies and Government institutions for working together to advance Uganda’s petroleum programme, stressing that the country must pursue development strategically and not blindly.
He said Uganda’s oil resources are finite and should therefore be used to create durable productive capacity that will benefit generations beyond the lifespan of the oil fields.
Future petroleum revenues, he explained, should support investments in power generation, transport infrastructure, railways, universities and other long-term national assets rather than increased consumption of imported luxury goods.
The President also highlighted the importance of continued exploration, noting that only part of Uganda’s petroleum potential has so far been developed.
He said the country still has significant exploration opportunities, including in other prospective areas, and that the objective should be to ensure that the first barrel of oil is not the last.
President Museveni recalled that at the beginning of Uganda’s oil journey, the country lacked sufficient local expertise in petroleum.
Government therefore deliberately invested in training Ugandans in petroleum-related disciplines, including through studies at international institutions.
He said the development of national expertise was essential to ensuring that Ugandans can effectively manage and benefit from the country’s petroleum resources.
The President described the naming of Uganda’s crude oil as an important milestone in the country’s petroleum journey, giving the resource a distinct identity as Uganda prepares to enter the international oil market.
The event at Kingfisher marks another major step in Uganda’s transition from petroleum discovery and development to commercial production and the utilisation of oil and gas as a catalyst for wider economic transformation.
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