Kenya and Uganda will jointly co-own the Kenya Pipeline Company once its shares are listed on the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE), President William Ruto has revealed.
Speaking in Tororo, Uganda, on November 23, 2025, during the groundbreaking ceremony for the Devki Mega Steel Plant, Ruto said the deal was agreed upon during a joint ministerial meeting in Nairobi last week.
“The Ministers were in Nairobi last week, where I provided guidance on the importance of Kenya and Uganda, both public and private sectors, to jointly own the Kenya Pipeline Company,” Ruto said.
According to Ruto, the Government of Kenya will divest 65 per cent of its stake, opening the door for regional investors.
“The Government of Kenya plans to divest up to 65%, and I am pleased that Uganda is prepared to co-invest with us because the Kenya Pipeline Company is not just a Kenyan facility; it is a regional facility.”
He encouraged Ugandans and other East Africans to invest once the shares are listed, saying broader participation will diversify earnings and strengthen shared ownership of strategic assets.
In October, the Privatisation Commission announced plans to privatise KPC through an Initial Public Offering (IPO) on the NSE by March 2026, a move approved by Cabinet and Parliament to unlock the company’s full potential and support fiscal sustainability.
The Commission noted the process follows Cabinet approval, tabling of the report before the National Assembly, and final parliamentary endorsement on October 1, 2025, in line with Section 30 of the Privatisation Act, 2005, which requires transparent divestiture to attract investment and stimulate growth.
Rationale for the sale includes unlocking KPC’s potential “while ensuring broad national benefits”, and generating revenue for the 2025/2026 budget to support economic and social programmes.
Additionally, while in Uganda, Ruto announced that the government will launch the extension of the Standard Gauge Railway from Naivasha to Kampala to strengthen infrastructure collaboration.
''In January, we will be launching the extension of the SGR from Naivasha to Kampala and onward to join the line from Malaba to Kampala and onward to DRC. The two governments will coordinate this to improve transport and logistics in a bid to enhance regional integration,'' Ruto said.
