The Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) has completed the second phase of an upgrade to the Nairobi-Eldoret pipeline, enhancing petroleum product supply to western Kenya and markets in the Great Lakes region.
The upgrade has increased the flow rate of the 14-inch pipeline, known as Line IV, by 56%, reaching 515 cubic meters per hour, up from the previous 330 cubic meters.
During the technical handover ceremony in Ngema, KPC’s Infrastructure General Manager and Project Engineer, Mr. David Muriuki, expressed optimism about the upgrade’s impact.
“With the new flow rate of 515 cubic meters per hour, up from an average of 380, KPC can now reliably meet the demand in western Kenya,” Mr. Muriuki stated.
Phase one of the Line IV upgrade, completed in 2011, involved constructing the 14-inch pipeline from Nairobi to Eldoret and installing two pumps at PS21 (Nairobi Terminal) and PS24 (Nakuru), designed to operate alternately with a flow rate of 378 cubic meters per hour.
According to commissioning engineer James Kimaiyos, the flow rate of 515 cubic meters per hour will gradually increase to an optimal rate of 757 cubic meters per hour in line with product demand, once the third upgrade phase is completed.
“Plans are also underway to reconfigure Nairobi Terminal (PS21) to a 2+1 mode (two pumps running and one on standby) to ensure maximum pipeline utilization,” he added.
The pipeline supports KPC’s fuel depots in Nakuru, Kisumu, and Eldoret, which are vital for supplying fuel to export markets in Rwanda, Burundi, northern Tanzania, South Sudan, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Kenya and Uganda recently began discussions to extend the pipeline from Eldoret to Kampala, a project first proposed 29 years ago. This extension would provide Uganda with a safer, more cost-effective fuel supply route than trucking, which currently drives up fuel prices in Kampala.
The proposed project includes constructing a multiproduct pipeline from Eldoret to Malaba on Kenya’s side, while Uganda will be responsible for building the connection to Kampala. Plans are also being considered for further extension to Kigali, Rwanda’s capital.
Originally proposed in 1995, the extension was awarded to Libya’s Tamoil East Africa in 2006. However, the contract was terminated after Tamoil failed to meet the conditions in a 2008 Memorandum of Understanding.
Currently, Uganda relies on trucking fuel from Eldoret, which poses security and safety risks. Uganda also transports fuel via Lake Victoria from the Kisumu Oil Jetty, though full capacity has not been reached due to delays in completing Uganda’s oil jetty.