Museveni’s 82nd Birthday Reflections: Calls for African Integration and Defends Uganda’s Oil Deal with Kenya
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has used his 82nd birthday message to call for African unity and defend Uganda’s new petroleum import arrangement, thanking Kenyan President William Ruto for his support.
KAMPALA — President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni marked his 82nd birthday on September 15, 2026, by issuing a wide-ranging statement addressing Africa’s future, continental integration, and Uganda’s petroleum security, while also responding to recent media reports about his comments on the country’s oil import arrangements.
A Call for African Integration
In his message to Ugandans, particularly the youth known as Bazzukulu, Museveni expressed gratitude to the 8 million well-wishers who sent him birthday congratulations.
The President used the occasion to appeal to Africans to pursue what he termed “3 historical missions not yet attained” to avoid future calamity:
- Prosperity through integrating the African common market to help wealth creators expand
- Strategic security against all threats through political integration of the continent where possible, citing the East African Federation as an example
- Unity through “undugu” (brotherhood) of the four linguistic groups of the 1.5 billion Africans — the Niger-Congo (Bantu and Kwa), the Nilo-Saharan (Cushitic, Nilotic), the Afro-Asiatic (Arabic, Tigrinya, Amhara), and the Khoisan
“It is the fulfilment of these historical missions, that will guarantee our prosperity and strategic security,” Museveni stated.
Clarifying the Oil Debate
The President also addressed what he described as attempts by “some Kenya Media People” to sensationalise his recent remarks at the foundation-laying ceremony of the 320 million litres oil storage centre at Buyala.
Museveni recounted Uganda’s historical struggle with governance, explaining that during the fight against Idi Amin, his forces criticised the dictator for putting “abatasoma” (the uneducated) in charge of running the country. However, after defeating Amin, they discovered that the civil servants who took over — Permanent Secretaries, Commissioners, and others — were also “ruining the Country.”
He revealed that he only learned around 2019, through Kenyan Senator Jirongo, that Ugandan civil servants had been purchasing petroleum products for the entire country through middlemen in Kenya via tendering processes.
“I immediately tasked the then Minister Irene Muloni to sort out that mess,” Museveni said, noting that nothing happened until 2023 when Uganda linked up with Vitol, a group with refineries in different parts of the world and bulk suppliers.
Dramatic Price Reductions
The President shared details of the initial agreement with Vitol signed on August 18, 2023, which provided for purchases per metric tonne at significantly reduced prices:
Product Old Price (USD) New Price (USD)
Diesel 118 83
Petrol 97.5 61.5
Aviation fuel 114.25 79.25
Thanking President Ruto
Museveni specifically thanked Kenyan President William Ruto for his role in facilitating the new arrangement.
“I want to thank H.E Ruto because he prevailed over some actors in Kenya who were trying to resist,” Museveni stated. “That is how we got our new arrangement and the Kenya Government allows us to pump our products through the Kenya oil pipeline in which the Kenya Government allowed us to have shares of 20.15%.”
The Ugandan leader concluded by expressing satisfaction with the Kenyan government’s cooperation on the matter.
“We are very happy with the Kenya Government of President Ruto on this matter.”
Signed: Yoweri K Museveni, President of the Republic of Uganda
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