South Sudan late Wednesday announced its plans to build an oil pipeline link to an oil pipeline to Kisumu in Kenya rather than use the link in the Northern Sudan when it becomes an independent state on July 9th 2011.

Mr Anthony Lino Makana southern Sudan minister of road and transport said that southern Sudan will control 75% of the Sudan’s total oil production of 500,000 barrels per day of oil production. We shall not go by Northern Sudan conditions we are considering an oil pipeline link via Kenya.

Southern Sudan whose larger oil deposits are in disputed Abyei oil rich region has been relying on the North's pipeline and Red sea port to sell the oil.

Last week, Khartoum government announced its plans to levy high transportation taxes on southern oil through northern pipelines.

Mr Makana said that southern Sudan is already in talks with several oil firms to build 200 kilometer oil pipeline to Kenyan link in Kisumu. Many east African countries including Uganda in the south have expressed interest in purchasing oil from southern Sudan.

The new pipeline to Kinya would link with the Mombasa Eldoret pipeline which serves Kenya, Tanzania Uganda, eastern Congo, Rwanda and Burundi.

(Filed by Matsiko Mike Steelguru Uganda correspondent)