Asiimwe talks matters 90 Days of Oil and Gas Media Campaign on NTV on July 18
By Julius Businge
Humphrey Asiimwe, the Chief Executive Officer of the Uganda Chamber of Mines and Petroleum, appeared on NTV Uganda this morning (July 18) to discuss Uganda’s oil sector as part of the 4th Edition of #90DaysofOilandGas.
Asiimwe highlighted that Uganda’s oil and gas sector is proving to be a lucrative venture for Ugandans, with over US$1.7 billion worth of contracts awarded to Ugandan companies out of a total of approximately US$7.9 billion awarded by oil companies.
In terms of employment, slightly over 13,000 jobs have been created in the sector, with approximately 90% of these positions filled by Ugandans.
He emphasized that the 90 Days of Oil and Gas Media Campaign has played a crucial role in helping Ugandans benefit by disseminating information about sector opportunities and ways companies can capitalize on them.
“Through this campaign, we’ve seen many companies register on the National Suppliers Database—now totaling over 2,000 companies,” he stated during the Morning at NTV program. He added, “The 90 Days of Oil and Gas Media Campaign aims to present facts and reveal available opportunities in the sector aligned with National Content and other commitments.”
Broadly speaking, Asiimwe noted that the UCMP has engaged with the government on all legislation regarding the extractive sector, including the recently enacted Mining & Minerals Act 2022 and various oil and gas sector laws and policies.
Additionally, he mentioned that the Chamber has encouraged Ugandans through its events calendar to prepare, adhere to sector regulations, and benefit from the sector as the country anticipates the commencement of commercial oil production. “Without proper preparation, oil will remain a pipe dream,” he warned.
Aligned with the campaign theme, “Uganda’s journey to first oil in the face of a just energy transition,” Asiimwe said, “We’re discussing energy transition as a country, and as a Chamber, we are urging the government to use funds from the oil and gas sector to support the Energy Transition Plan and infrastructure projects to accelerate development.”
“Uganda aims to transition from fossil fuels to cleaner energy sources while simultaneously moving towards fast oil production,” he said.
Meanwhile, Asiimwe welcomed the government’s decision to import fuel through the Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC) to ensure supply stability and reduce pump prices, which have been inflated by middlemen seeking profit. “We’re monitoring the situation and are ready to engage and advise on this matter,” he said.
Looking ahead, he added, “We will continue this campaign across all media platforms and encourage everyone to participate.”
Last month, the Ministry of Finance presented the current budget showing an increase in money allocated to the extractive sector (oil, gas, and mining) by 92% from Shs501bn in FY2023/24 to Shs961bn in FY2024/25) to partly fund the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) and the refinery – which are critical projects for the country’s commercial oil production expected in 2025, according to the government plan.