Rwanda has received its first government-backed shipment of refined petroleum products through Kenya’s Port of Mombasa, opening a new supply route for the landlocked country through the Northern Corridor.
The 40,000-metric-tonne cargo, carried by the tanker MT Sea Wolf, arrived at the Kenya Pipeline Company’s Kipevu Oil Terminal 2 in Mombasa on September 29, 2026. The shipment was imported by the Rwanda National Energy Company (RNEC) under a new Kenya-Rwanda petroleum supply framework.
The arrival follows agreements signed by Kenya and Rwanda on June 29, 2026, allowing Rwanda to use Kenya’s port, pipeline, storage and logistics infrastructure to transport petroleum products to the Rwandan market.
Kenya’s Energy and Petroleum Cabinet Secretary James Opiyo Wandayi said the new arrangement is expected to significantly increase the volume of Rwanda-bound petroleum products transported through the Northern Corridor.
Under the framework, Rwanda’s fuel imports through Kenya are projected to rise to more than 500,000 cubic metres annually, compared with tens of thousands of cubic metres previously. Kenya Pipeline Company has also extended the storage period available to Rwanda-bound fuel from the standard 35 days to as much as 90 days during the initial period of the agreement.
For Rwanda, the arrangement is aimed at strengthening energy security and reducing dependence on individual supply routes. The country imports all of its refined petroleum products and has traditionally relied heavily on routes through Tanzania.
The new Mombasa route will operate alongside existing supply corridors rather than completely replacing them. Rwanda also received a separate 40,000-tonne government-backed fuel shipment through Tanzania’s Port of Tanga in July.
For Kenya, increased Rwanda-bound cargo could boost activity at Mombasa Port, Kenya Pipeline Company facilities and other logistics services along the Northern Corridor.
The shipment therefore marks a significant development in Kenya-Rwanda energy cooperation and strengthens Mombasa’s role as a regional gateway for petroleum products.
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