Oil in Uganda – Hard bargaining and complex politics in East Africa

From 2006 onward, a series of oil discoveries put Uganda on the global energy map. These were the largest onshore oil finds in sub-Saharan Africa in over two decades, and part of an oil and gas surge in East Africa and a wider energy boom on the continent. But almost immediately after the discovery of oil, a series of regulatory disputes between the Ugandan government and international oil companies delayed development and production.

This paper provides an overview of the history of oil exploration in Uganda, it considers future production and reserve levels and infrastructure development along with Uganda’s regulatory environment, through the refinery demands, tax disputes, and contractual negotiations between the Ugandan government and international oil companies and how politics may impact the advancement of Uganda’s oil industry.

By: Luke Patey