Government to investigate fuel dealers who are keeping prices high, after data at border shows the country is receiving enough supplies

By Ismael Kasooha

MALABA

Uganda is getting above normal average fuel supply and there shouldn’t be any fuel scarcity or hike in prices in the country, according to the officials managing the border points at Malaba and Busia.

Alfred Adriko Acting Regional manager Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) Eastern region said that by January 19, 2022 the country had received 2,452 trucks, with each truck carrying an average of 35,000 litres, making a total of total 85 million litres, enough to take the country for two weeks at a consumption rate of 6 million liters of fuel per day. Records show that Uganda consumes on average, 6 million liters of fuel per day.

“Our records indicate that there has been flow of fuel trucks above normal average and there shouldn’t be any challenges in fuel supply in the country,” said Adriko.

The country has been experiencing some fuel supply shortfalls blamed on congestion at the border points.

While meeting with officials from the different agencies at Malaba border point on Friday evening, the Prime Minister, Robinah Nabbanja said that the government is to investigate the reasons behind the hiking of fuel prices by the energy companies yet the supply is above normal average.

Ivan Latoba, from the Office of the President but deployed to monitor the border operations says that fuel crisis in Uganda was caused by oil companies who could have ulterior motives to taint the image of the Government of Uganda so that people can feel dissatisfied with it.

“The fuel scarcity should not be seen at the face but investigated deeper to establish the motives of the fuel dealers’ who created an artificial fuel shortage. I hope these people have intentions to cause social unrest in the country,” said Latoba.

Nabbanja says the two sister countries of Uganda and Kenya have agreed to have transport ministers pitch camp at the border to ensure the impasse on long truck queues is addressed.

“The president has directed that the transport and works minister to pitch camp at the border to ensure that that all issues hindering the smooth flow of trucks are addressed once and for all,” says Nabbanja.

She says that the weigh bridge at Malaba has been temporarily suspended to allow the flow of trucks at the border and now trucks can be weighed in places like Mbale and Magamaga and others far from the border.

“We don’t want any congestion at the border that is the reason we have decided to suspend the weigh bridge at Malaba to decongest the border,” Nabbanja added.

Nabbanja asked URA and UNBS to increase the number of staff deployed at the border points so that clients are handled faster.

However some officials attributed some delay to a few hours of work by a private company contracted to carry out fuel inspection at the border.

The meeting also resolved to have regional fuel reserves in the country to ensure that any fuel crisis going forward is averted.

The Malaba meeting was convened by the Prime Minister on the directive of  H.E. President Yoweri Museveni to ensure the issues at the border are sorted immediately.

End