Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has once again pushed for the political federation of East Africa, using the groundbreaking of a massive new oil refinery to underscore why deeper unity is essential. Speaking at the ceremony for the multi-billion-dollar Dangote East Africa Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals Special Economic Zone, Museveni told leaders and dignitaries: “We need […]

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has once again pushed for the political federation of East Africa, using the groundbreaking of a massive new oil refinery to underscore why deeper unity is essential.

Speaking at the ceremony for the multi-billion-dollar Dangote East Africa Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals Special Economic Zone, Museveni told leaders and dignitaries:

“We need to look again at the political federation of East Africa. Our earlier leaders saw the need for it. In Nigeria, oil moves freely across the country. Imagine if there were borders. East Africa must seriously consider political federation.”

The $16 billion project, led by Nigerian industrialist Aliko Dangote, is set to become the largest oil refinery in East and Central Africa, with a planned capacity of 700,000 barrels of crude oil per day. It is being positioned as a regional asset, with East African countries invited to take equity stakes.

Museveni welcomed the investment, saying Africa must move away from exporting raw materials and instead process them locally to create jobs and drive industrialisation. He confirmed that Uganda will still proceed with its own Hoima refinery and maintain cooperation with Tanzania on the Tanga project, stating there is “no harm in having more refineries in the region.”

However, he stressed that shareholding alone is not enough. While regional ownership would allow countries to earn profits from the Kenyan-based plant, it would not solve the challenge of jobs crossing borders. Deeper political integration, he argued, is needed so that East Africans can fully share the economic benefits of major investments wherever they are located in the region.

The event was attended by Kenyan President William Ruto, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, Aliko Dangote, and other African leaders. Ruto praised Museveni for helping drive the vision behind the project.

The call comes as the East African Community continues its long-standing journey toward political federation a goal first championed by the region’s founding leaders but still unrealised decades later.