The East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) has entered a partnership with the Institute of Asset Management (IAM) Uganda Chapter to strengthen local capacity in managing and maintaining oil infrastructure as Uganda prepares for 25 years of crude oil production in the Albertine Graben.
The collaboration was announced during the announcement of the official launch of the IAM Uganda Chapter at Silver Springs Hotel in Bugolobi, marking a milestone in professionalising asset management in the country.
Merian Ahabwe, EACOP’s National Content Manager, said the partnership is timely, since it aligns with EACOP’s core values of promoting national content through capacity building and knowledge dissemination, which is pertinent in the oil and gas sector.
She noted that EACOP has heavily invested in a number of infrastructures, including the pipeline and pump stations, which will have to be managed for the next 25 years of oil extraction.
“Asset management comes handy for the people of Uganda. We therefore need to embrace this opportunity, because who will who will be managing these assets? It’s us the Ugandans.” She said.
“We are happy for IAM to come in through Cohesive Solutions, to oversee and sustain the assets in which we have heavily invested,” Ahabwe added.
Eng. Horace Muhamya, the founding president of IAM Uganda Chapter, hailed Uganda for making history as the first country to establish a national IAM chapter, the world’s leading professional body for advancing excellence in physical asset management. Muhamya added that the institute will be key in streamlining assets in Uganda.
“Ugandans always demand for infrastructures including roads, electricity, hospitals, in which the government has put in a lot of money, but we ned up losing a number of them due to lack of knowledge on how to sustainably manage them” Muhamya said.
He added that the launch marks a transformative step towards professionalising asset management in Uganda and advancing excellence in maintaining physical assets.
IAM board member Chris Kaganda emphasised the institute’s role in safeguarding Uganda’s public and private infrastructure, saying many national projects deteriorate prematurely due to limited maintenance frameworks.
“The government invests heavily in infrastructure, but without professional asset management, these assets fail to serve their full lifespan. The institute will help reverse that trend,” he noted.The Institute of Asset Management Uganda Chapter aims to promote best practices, build local expertise, and raise awareness on the importance of sustainable asset management among institutions, professionals, and the public.
