The middlemen have been selling to Uganda petroleum products at huge prices
President Yoweri Museveni has confirmed that the country has contracted bulk and refinery suppliers to be able to give Uganda fuel at lower prices. This as the country continues to experience a rise in the cost of fuel at the pump.
Uganda imports petroleum products of the magnitude of 2.5billion litres per annum valued at about US$ 2bn.
According to Museveni, Uganda was buying the “huge huge quantity of petroleum products from middlemen in Kenya.”
“A whole country buying from middlemen in Kenya or anywhere else!! Amazing but true,” the President said in a statement on Sunday. “Why not buy from the Refineries abroad and transport through Kenya and Tanzania, cutting out the cost created by middlemen? Those involved were not bothered by these issues.”
He revealed that “We have now contracted bulk and Refinery suppliers able to give us the lower prices.”
“I have discussed this with H.E Ruto, the President of Kenya and our delegation is now in Dar-es-Salaam, discussing with Her Excellency Samia Suluhu.”
However, he added: “the internal parasites who have been cheating their country, have launched a social–media and mainstream media campaign against our liberation- resistance plan against okuseerwa (being over-charged), assisted by the ever pro-parasite paper known as Monitor.”
“As usual, we are ready to confront the parasites,” the President said.
The President says his Kenyan counterpart William Ruto is handling “the Kenyan part.”
“I salute his contribution. In a few years’ time, our Refinery will be up and running,” he added.
The President assured the Inland East Africans of competitive petroleum products, free of distributions caused by middlemen.
The whole of Uganda, North- Western Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Western Kenya, South Sudan and Eastern DRC, will benefit,” he said.
How middlemen were cheating Uganda
According to the President, a check on one occasion a few months ago, showed that the middlemen were selling to Uganda petroleum products at huge prices.
“These are prices when the products have arrived at the East African Ports. You can see the huge loss Uganda has been incurring on account of our wonderful People,” the President said.
Middlemen Vs Refinery
Diesel:
- Middlemen’s price – $118;
- Price from bulk suppliers or Refiners -$83;
Petrol:
- Middlemen’s price -$97.5;
- Bulk suppliers or Refiners’ price- $61.5;
Kerosene:
- Middlemen’s price – $114;
- Bulk suppliers or Refiners’ price – $79
