Speaking during a parliamentary inquiry into petroleum quality control and supply chain stability on Monday, Cabinet Secretary for Energy and Petroleum, Opiyo Wandayi, affirmed that the government is working with private partners to meet the 2026 export target.
According to Wandayi, the progress in the South Lokichar basin is backed by active technical schedules and corporate guarantees.
“We are confident that by the end of this year, before we hit December 31, we shall have the first tracks of oil moving to the port of crude oil,” Wandayi stated.
Additionally, the CS noted that government officials will travel to Turkana to officiate a groundbreaking ceremony for the commercial operations in the basin.
Wandayi also defended the Government-to-Government (G-to-G) model, explaining that it is the most stable and flexible system for safeguarding supply.
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Gulf Energy’s in the South Lokichar Basin
Kenya’s target of exporting crude oil by the end of 2026 is driven by the Gulf Energy E&P BV, which took over the Turkana oil project.
The Gulf Energy E&P BV took over the project from Tullow Oil in September 2025.
Gulf Energy submitted the South Lokichar Basin Field Development Plan (FDP) to the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) on September 30, 2025.
In accordance with the Petroleum Act 2019 and the Production Sharing Contracts (PSCs), the FDP was submitted.
The FDP outlined a strategy to develop six key oil discoveries in Blocks T6/10BB and T7/13T using existing data from the Tullow era.
In early 2026, the FDP received approval from the Ministry of Energy and the Cabinet and is awaiting final ratification by Parliament.
To make Kenya a commercial oil exporter, the project will require an investment of approximately KSh 775-780 billion.
Also Read: How EPRA Calculates Retail Fuel Prices
Gulf Energy Acquisition
In February 2026, Gulf Energy secured a GW70 onshore drilling rig from the Great Wall Drilling Company (GWDC) in the UAE through a long-term, performance-based lease valued at US$15 million.
A Kenyan government delegation, including officials from EPRA and Turkana County, inspected the rig in Abu Dhabi to ensure it met the standards required for the South Lokichar terrain.
The rig was scheduled to be shipped to Mombasa by the end of March 2026, with commissioning set for June.
Currently, the country is entirely dependent on imported refined products, a system governed by the Petroleum Importation Regulations of 2023 and the Government-to-Government (G2G) framework.
