Uganda's Fuel Shortages Persist Amid Rising Prices and Government Assurances

Uganda is grappling with a deepening fuel crisis, now in its fifth day, as transporters and motorists scramble for limited supplies in Kampala and beyond. Stations have turned away customers since early this week, while prices climb steadily.

United Bus Owners Association Secretary General Robert Mutebi noted intermittent shortages over two weeks, with pump prices rising Shs200-500 since Monday. Operators are holding off on fare hikes to spare passengers amid economic pressures, planning discussions on Friday.

A survey of 30 Kampala stations showed petrol prices varying from Shs5,140 at Luqman to Shs5,599 at Mogas Banda, a Shs459 gap per litre. Diesel ranged from Shs5,300 to Shs5,500. For a 50-litre petrol fill-up, this means up to Shs22,950 difference. Stations along Masaka Road, like those in Ndeeba and Nateete, report dry tanks or single-product operations.

Questions swirl over causes: Middle East conflicts, including a 90% Strait of Hormuz closure from U.S.-Israel-Iran tensions disrupting 20% of global oil, or local hoarding by dealers. Even major players are rationing fuel.

The Ministry of Energy and UNOC insist supplies are secure, with 70.5 million litres of petrol (19 days’ cover), 43.2 million litres of diesel (12 days), and 32 million litres of jet fuel (53 days) as of April 20. Incoming shipments by May 1 include 183 million litres of petrol, 258 million diesel, and 23 million jet fuel, extending covers significantly.

Officials blame isolated outages on logistics for individual oil marketing companies (OMCs) and cross-border demand in towns like Arua and Tororo, urging calm to avoid panic buying. Expert Peter Ochieng highlights distribution flaws, where small dealers pay premiums to larger ones, causing forecourt shortages despite national stocks.

Deputy Treasury Secretary Patrick Ocailap emphasized no economic crisis looms, with monitoring to curb unjustified price hikes.

Source: Daily Monitor (Uganda)