President Yoweri Museveni is angry with Kenyan middlemen and Ugandan officials who have for a long time connived to ripoff the country by inflating fuel prices .
On his twitter official account a furious Museveni said government officials disobeyed Presidential Orders about matters relating to the national fuel prices.. According to the President , Uganda has been importing petroleum products worth US$ 2bn annually, from middlemen in Kenya when it is possible to directly deal with the refineries abroad.
”Without my knowledge, our wonderful people [civil servants] were buying this huge quantity of petroleum products from middlemen in Kenya. A whole country buying from middlemen in Kenya or anywhere else!! Amazing but true. Why not buy from the refineries abroad and transport them through Kenya and Tanzania, cutting out the cost created by middlemen? Those involved were not bothered by these issues,” wondered Museveni.
”Some few years ago, I got to know this information from whistle-blowers. I handed the matter to Minister Kituttu to handle. About a year ago, I got to know that the matter was never handled. When I studied the issue, I discovered that we lose so much by buying through the middlemen,” said Museveni adding;
A check, on one occasion a few months ago, showed that the middlemen were selling us petroleum products at prices as indicated below per tonne.
Diesel:
I. Middlemen’s price – $118;
II. Price from bulk suppliers or Refiners -$83;
Petrol:
I. Middlemen’s price -$97.5;
II. Bulk suppliers or refiners’ price- $61.5;
Kerosene:
I. Middlemen’s price – $114;
II. Bulk suppliers or refiners’ price – $79
”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. 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,” adds Museveni
”H.E Ruto is handling the Kenyan part. I salute his contribution. In a few years’ time, our refinery will be up and running,” he added.
