Nyantino said the expansion would improve fuel supply to the region where the demand is high/FILE
KISUMU, Kenya, Jul 30 – Kenya Pipeline Company has completed the construction of a parallel pipeline from Sinendet to Kisumu expected to enhance petroleum product availability in the Western region.
Addressing the press, Company Corporate Communications Manager Jason Nyantino said the 112 km, 10-inch pipeline runs parallel to the previous 6-inch pipeline.
“It is going to improve supply in Kisumu because in the past we’ve been having a pipeline which is six inches for the last two decades or so and Kisumu because of the small pipeline never had enough product.”
Nyantino said the expansion would improve the fuel supply to the region where the demand is high.
“The demand for this region which is about 12 counties in Western Kenya is about 1.1 billion litres annually so this pipeline is going to enable us serve that market.”
Nyantino said the development would also serve other parts of the East African region who consume Kenya’s petroleum.
“Sixty per cent of product in Kisumu actually goes to neighbouring countries. Only 40 per cent is consumed in Kenya. So you see this town is a very strategic town in terms of serving the region and we are talking about raising Kenya’s profile in the East African space. We’re going to be able to utilize Lake Victoria to transport product from Kisumu using a jetty. We’re going to invest in an oil jetty in the next one year or two. This Kisumu will never be the same.”
“We’ll be able to take product to Mwanza, Entebbe, Jinja, Kampala, over water. So that is huge.”
The new pipeline awaits commissioning by President Uhuru Kenyatta.
