Museveni to ‘baptise’ Uganda’s crude oil as country prepares for first oil

President Yoweri Museveni is expected to unveil the official name of Uganda’s crude oil on September 2, 2026, giving the country’s petroleum a distinct identity on the international market as preparations for first oil gather pace.

The naming ceremony will take place at the Kingfisher Development Area in Kikuube District, where Museveni is also expected to inspect progress on the country’s oil projects.

Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC) Chief Corporate Affairs Officer Tony Otoa described the naming as a major milestone that will distinguish Uganda’s crude from other petroleum products traded around the world.

“Today, Uganda’s crude oil gets its name. This is what will distinguish it from all other crude oils in the world. This is like baptism. Every oil producing country has a distinct name for its oil,” Otoa said.

The name will give Uganda’s crude a recognisable identity for refiners, traders and other players in the international petroleum market.

Uganda's crude is waxy and has a low sulphur content. Its technical specifications, including density and refining characteristics, are expected to form part of its market profile.

“The ceremony that will take place in the Kingfisher Development Area marks a huge milestone in Uganda’s oil and gas journey,” Otoa said.

“I am honoured to officiate this once in a lifetime event with my comrade.”

The ceremony comes as Uganda moves closer to commercial oil production, more than two decades after commercially viable petroleum deposits were discovered in the Albertine Graben.

Kingfisher is one of Uganda's two main oil development projects alongside Tilenga.

At Kingfisher, 22 of the planned 31 wells have been completed. The project is designed to produce up to 40,000 barrels of oil per day.

Production from Kingfisher and Tilenga is expected to reach a combined peak of about 230,000 barrels per day.

The crude will be transported from Uganda's oilfields to the Tanzanian port of Tanga through the East African Crude Oil Pipeline for export to international markets.

The naming ceremony comes as work on the oilfields and pipeline enters its final stages, with Uganda targeting first oil later this year.