This archive report was first published on 26 August 2019.
On August 26, 2019, President Uhuru Kenyatta made history by flagging off Kenya's inaugural shipment of crude oil at the port of Mombasa, marking the country's entry into the league of oil-exporting nations.
The shipment, valued at Sh1.3 billion, consisted of 200,000 barrels of Turkana crude oil, which was sold at an international price of about $63 (Sh6,500) per barrel.
According to reports, the oil was transported to Mombasa by British oil explorer Tullow, which had been moving the crude by road since May, increasing the volume from 600 barrels per day to 2,000.
President Kenyatta had announced on August 1 that Kenya had secured a deal with an oil exporter, but the buyer's identity remained undisclosed.
The small-scale export was intended to test the international markets' reception of Kenya's low-sulphur oil ahead of commercial production, which is estimated to start in the second half of 2023.
Principal Secretaries Dr. Julius Muia of National Treasury and Petroleum's Andrew Kamau were present at the port of Mombasa to witness the historic event.
Mombasa Governor Ali Hassan Joho and Petroleum Cabinet Secretary John Munyes also attended the flagging off ceremony.
