The terminal itself is strategically sensible and fits neatly into the wider first-oil infrastructure story. But the siting issue illustrates strategic infrastructure can still be poorly integrated into its physical environment.

The planned 700,000-barrel-per-day facility would be the largest refinery in East Africa if completed. It is expected to supply petroleum products to Kenya and neighbouring markets, including Uganda, Tanzania, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The issue also exposes a wider fragmentation in Uganda’s methane governance. Methane is not unique to petroleum: it arises from landfills, wastewater, agriculture and other activities, and poor management can create both climate and safety risks. Uganda already regulates some of these sources separately, but the renewed focus on petroleum methane highlights the absence of a visibly coherent cross-sector approach