A cultural gala, recently organized by a Chinese company in Kasinyi Village, in western Uganda's Buliisa District, brought together 42 pupils and their teachers from five local primary schools to celebrate cultural exchange and cooperation in the energy sector through mural coloring and a drawing competition.

KAMPALA, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) -- An 80-meter-long mural depicting Uganda's national bird, the crested crane, alongside a Chinese dragon symbolizing harmony, stood as the centerpiece of a cultural gala recently held in Kasinyi Village, a remote community in western Uganda's Buliisa District.

The event, organized by Chinese oil company Sinopec, brought together 42 pupils and their teachers from five local primary schools to celebrate cultural exchange and cooperation in the energy sector through mural coloring and a drawing competition.

It also coincided with the company's Public Open Day at the Tilenga Oilfield, where Sinopec is constructing the Central Processing Facility (CPF), a key component of Uganda's emerging oil sector.

The Tilenga project is Uganda's first commercial oil project with an overall investment exceeding 2 billion U.S. dollars. Once operational, the CPF is expected to handle more than 200,000 barrels of crude oil per day, positioning Uganda as a key hub in East Africa's energy network.

Among those young participants, 14-year-old Benon Atuhaire illustrated an oil rig and machinery against the backdrop of village life, while Tolbert Tumukwaise envisioned a modern city rising from oil-driven growth. Other artworks portrayed Lake Albert's fishing culture thriving alongside ongoing oil projects.

Chinese Ambassador to Uganda Zhang Lizhong said the event was both a cultural feast and a symbol of growing people-to-people ties.

"Today's event provides local residents with a window to understand Chinese culture and experience its charm, while also exploring new avenues for Chinese enterprises to better integrate into local society and fulfill their social responsibilities," Zhang said.

"The Tilenga project is not only a model of economic cooperation but also a bridge of friendship between China and Uganda. It carries our common expectation for a better future and bears witness to the deepening of the China-Uganda comprehensive cooperative partnership," Zhang added.

Yi Xuhui, representative of Sinopec Uganda, said beyond infrastructure, the company is committed to long-term capacity building. During the CPF construction, Sinopec will employ over 4,000 Ugandans to work alongside about 1,000 Chinese colleagues.

"After Sinopec leaves the Tilenga project, we leave behind a whole team that knows how to handle construction at an oil and gas field," Yi said.

Buliisa Resident District Commissioner Baheebwa Byagagaire said the industry has brought jobs and infrastructure.

"Most of the people of Buliisa have benefited because the educated ones and those who are not have been employed. A person who last came here in 2017 and returns now would find a total difference. Buliisa has changed with a new road network," Byagagaire said.

Uganda discovered an estimated 6.5 billion barrels of oil in 2006, of which 1.4 billion barrels are considered commercially viable, according to the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development.

The country is currently building an oil refinery and a crude oil export pipeline as part of its broader strategy to unlock the resource's potential.