Energy and Petroleum Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi has said drilling is set to commence in Turkana within two months, making Kenya closer to its goal of producing its first-ever commercial crude oil before the end of 2026.

The Cabinet minister said this on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, when he was speaking during the unveiling and dedication of the late Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s mausoleum in Kang’o ka Jaramogi, Bondo in Siaya County.

While addressing President William Ruto at the event, Wandayi said his department was embroiled in several crucial petroleum and energy-related projects.

“Your Excellency, you know very well that you have charged me with a very sensitive brief, energy and petroleum, which is currently handling very critical projects,” he said.

Wandayi further stated that they would start tapping oil in Turkana after two months.

“I can assure you that in two months time, we shall be drilling oil from Turkana,” he said.

This is in line with the government’s projection that Kenya will have its first oil between December 2026 and January 2027.

According to the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA), the contractor working on the fields is on course to meet the timelines in the approved Field Development Plan for South Lokichar. EPRA Director of Petroleum and Gas Edward Kinyua said first oil from the fields is expected in December 2026, with initial exports of crude oil from Mombasa port in the first quarter of 2027.

The drilling program in South Lokichar is taking place after Gulf Energy acquired Tullow Oil’s interest in Kenya. This includes a KSh2.59 billion rig that arrived at the Mombasa Port in September and will soon be commissioned to start drilling in Turkana.

Gulf Energy announced in September that it had scheduled to commence drilling in Kenya on 1 November 2026 as a step towards achieving first oil in December 2026. According to the development plan approved by the government, the first phase of production will see 20,000 barrels of crude oil per day produced.

The petroleum ministry said the crude oil will initially be transported by road to Kenya Petroleum Refineries Limited for storage before being exported. Wandayi had in April said Kenya expected to have its first tranche of crude oil ready for export to Mombasa before the end of 2026.

“We are optimistic that by the end of this year, before 31 December we shall have the first tranche of crude oil going to Mombasa for export,” he said.

The announcement comes after several years of delays as development in the basin faced several challenges after discovering commercial oil reservoirs in 2012. The production of Kenya’s first crude oil marks the next step in a long process of starting with oil exploration and then moving on to production.

Apart from producing crude oil, Wandayi said the government is also embroiled in a huge project that will see Kenya have petroleum refineries and nuclear energy plants to develop the country’s energy sector.

For now, the government’s immediate focus is on South Lokichar as a whole, with the November drilling set to test whether Kenya will be able to achieve its goal of having first oil in December 2026.