Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has used the launch of the Dangote East Africa Petroleum Refinery in Lamu to renew his call for closer political ties in East Africa, saying major investments should create opportunities for people and governments across the region.
Museveni said regional integration would make it easier for East African countries to share the jobs, taxes, investment opportunities and ownership linked to large industrial projects.
Speaking at the refinery launch in Mokowe, Lamu County, on Wednesday, he said the project should be viewed beyond its location in Kenya and as part of a wider effort to strengthen economic links between neighbouring countries.
The refinery is expected to boost petroleum processing in the region and reduce reliance on imported refined petroleum products. Museveni said such projects also raise broader questions about how countries can ensure that the economic gains from industrial activity are shared across borders.
He said the push for political integration in East Africa has been supported by leaders over several generations and remains an issue of interest to both older and younger political leaders.
Museveni named former Kenyan presidents Uhuru Kenyatta, Mwai Kibaki and Daniel Arap Moi among leaders who backed the idea of greater regional unity.
He argued that political integration would allow resources, workers, money and goods to move more easily between countries, enabling nations to benefit from economic activity outside their own borders.
To explain his position, Museveni pointed to Nigeria, where crude oil produced in the eastern part of the country can be transported to refineries in Lagos because the two areas are within one country.
“Dangote, you hear that their refinery in Nigeria is in Lagos. The petroleum comes from Eastern Nigeria because it is one country. It's no problem. Petroleum can go from Ibo land to Yoruba land, no issues,” he said.
He said the system also allows people from areas where resources are produced to seek employment in other parts of the country, while governments benefit from the taxes generated by businesses and industries.
“Why? Because the Igbos, from where the petroleum is mined, can go and get jobs in Lagos, and the taxes are shared.”
Museveni said similar arrangements could prove harder to achieve when the resource-producing and processing countries are separate.
He referred to Uganda's iron ore and discussions about having it processed in Mombasa, questioning what Uganda would gain if the mineral were shipped to Kenya for value addition.
The Ugandan President argued that such a model could leave the country providing the processing facilities with most of the jobs and revenue while Uganda receives fewer benefits from the industrial process.
He said stronger economic ties therefore need to be supported by political integration so that countries involved in cross-border projects can share the resulting opportunities.
Museveni also backed the idea of East African countries taking shares in the Lamu refinery, saying regional participation would give neighbouring states a direct financial stake in the project.
His remarks placed the refinery at the centre of a wider discussion on regional integration, with the project serving as an example of how major infrastructure investments could link East African economies.
Museveni maintained that political integration should remain the main focus, arguing that economic cooperation alone may not guarantee that countries equally benefit from employment and other opportunities created by major investments.