By Felix Oketcho
Uganda National Oil Company has celebrated 10 years of driving Uganda’s Transformation in the petroleum sector, growing from a bold idea into a fully-fledged, high impact national oil company shaping the country’s energy future.
UNOC was created to manage the State’s commercial interests and unlock the full value of Uganda’s petroleum resources. Over the past decade, the company has built strong foundations in governance, institutions, people, and partnerships, setting the stage for long-term national value creation.
From the inaugural Board to the new leadership constituted in 2024, UNOC has benefited from visionary governance and committed management that has steered multi-billion-dollar projects, strengthened systems, and sustained institutional integrity.
“We celebrate 10 years of the Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC), a decade of strategic leadership in unlocking value from Uganda’s petroleum resources. Over the years, UNOC has demonstrated professionalism, resilience, and an unwavering commitment to ensuring that Ugandans fully benefit from our oil and gas sector,’ Energy Minister Ruth Nakabirwa stated.
“As we move toward First Oil, I applaud UNOC’s role in advancing the Tilenga, Kingfisher, EACOP, Kabaale Industrial Park, and national storage infrastructure projects. Their work is central to our ambition of building a competitive, transparent, and sustainable energy sector for Uganda,”she added.
Officiating at the 10th UNOC Anniversary and end of year Dinner Minister Nakabirwa thanked His Excellency, President
Yoweri Museveni for his clarity of purpose ensuring that Uganda’s natural resources are developed responsibly, commercially, and for the benefit of all Ugandans. The president’s consistent guidance and strategic leadership planted the seed that has grown into the UNOC we celebrate today.
“The president’s consistent guidance and strategic leadership planted the seed that has grown into the UNOC we celebrate today,” she affirmed.
Hon. Nankabirwa said the 10th anniversary serves not just as a reflection on past achievements but as a powerful testament to the foundation UNOC has built for a prosperous, energy-secure future, and ultimately, a transformed Ugandan economy.
“I look forward to the next decade of growth, value addition, and national transformation,” she noted.
Ramathan Ggoobi, the Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Finance and Secretary to the Treasury lauded the company’s unwavering commitment to ensuring that Ugandans fully benefit from the oil and gas sector.
“Over the years, UNOC has demonstrated professionalism, resilience, and an unwavering commitment to ensuring that Ugandans fully benefit from our oil and gas sector,” he stated.
UNOC’s Chief Executive Officer, Ms. Proscovia Nabbanja, noted that as Uganda moves closer to the landmark achievement of First Oil, UNOC’s pivotal role in advancing critical national projects is directly tied to the goal of national economic transformation.
Key projects registered over the 10 years
Tilenga and Kingfisher Projects: Upstream developments critical for crude oil production.
East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP): The transnational pipeline project, crucial for unlocking export revenue.
Kabaale Industrial Park: Set to house the refinery and other value-adding facilities, creating a major industrial hub.
National Storage Infrastructure: Essential for energy security and efficient domestic supply.
The Minister also appreciated the broader collaborative effort essential for steering the sector, thanking the cabinet and the parliament for their support, plus the shareholders for their strategic direction.
