EACOP partners with asset management institute to maintain oil infrastructure

KAMPALA, Uganda — The East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) has partnered with the Institute of Asset Management (IAM) Uganda Chapter to boost local expertise in managing and maintaining critical oil infrastructure, the company announced. The collaboration is aimed at safeguarding assets during Uganda’s estimated 25 years of crude oil production in the Albertine Graben.

The partnership was unveiled during the official launch of the IAM Uganda Chapter at the Silver Springs Hotel in Bugolobi, marking a step toward professionalizing asset management within the country.

Merian Ahabwe, EACOP’s National Content Manager, said the agreement aligns with the company’s core value of promoting national content through capacity building. She noted that EACOP has invested heavily in infrastructure, including the pipeline and pump stations, which require sustainable management.

“Asset management comes handy for the people of Uganda,” Ahabwe said. “We need to embrace this opportunity, because who will be managing these assets? It’s us the Ugandans.” She added that EACOP is pleased that IAM, through its partner Cohesive Solutions, will help oversee and sustain the investments.

Eng. Horace Muhamya, the founding president of IAM Uganda Chapter, hailed Uganda for becoming the first country to establish a national IAM chapter, the world’s leading professional body in physical asset management. Muhamya argued that the institute is essential for streamlining asset sustainability in Uganda.

“Ugandans always demand for infrastructures including roads, electricity, hospitals, in which the government has put in a lot of money, but we end up losing a number of them due to lack of knowledge on how to sustainably manage them,” Muhamya said, calling the launch a transformative step for the nation.

Chris Kaganda, an IAM board member, reinforced this point, noting that 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,” Kaganda said. “The institute will help reverse that trend.”

The IAM Uganda Chapter aims to promote best practices, build local expertise and raise awareness on the importance of sustainable asset management across public and private institutions.