You’re Being Inconsiderate & Taking Advantage – RDC Closes Fuel Station Over Hiked Prices
By Uganda Online Media
President Yoweri Museveni has appointed Maj Tom Magambo who has been in the Internal Security Organisations(ISO) as the new police Criminal Investigations Director.
“President Museveni has promoted Private Tom Magambo to the rank of Major and appointed him Director Criminal Investigations of the Uganda Police Force,” the acting UPDF spokesperson, Lt Col Ronald Kakurungu said in a statement.
Kitgum: Motorists in Kitgum have been left stranded after the resident district commissioner (RDC) William Komakech ordered the closure of Petrocity fuel station in Kitgum municipality over hiking petrol prices.
According to angry residents, the station was selling a liter of petrol at Shs 12,000 by end of business on Monday, while the price per liter ranged between Shs 4,900 and Shs 6,000 at all other stations in the district, and the region.
Komakech revealed that six out of the nine fuelling stations in Kitgum municipality including Shell Alcoben, Total One, Total Two, Rock, Oil Energy and Gapco had run out of fuel in their reserves leaving only Petrocity, Pita, and Don operating thus taking advantage of the scarcity to extort motorists.
Komakech said that the stations will only be opened to business after rescinding their decision formally.
Richard Billy Okello, a pump attendant at Petrocity, Kitgum branch did not deny hiking the fuel pump price for petrol but says they are under a directive from their superiors to keep their reserves with some fuel to avoid closure of business and avoid losing regular customers.
Okello argues the current crisis is a nationwide issue citing Pader where the price of petrol has been hiked to Shs 14,000 per litre and in the West Nile sub-region where a litre of petrol ranges between Shs 10,000 and Shs 12,000. Okello however says negotiations are underway to consider a reduction.
Komakech also warned proprietors of other filling stations to desist from taking advantage of the current situation to exploit and inflict financial pain on motorists saying members of the public should abandon the overpriced dealers, stations as they wait for the situation to normalize.
Uganda’s cabinet is today Tuesday reconvened to find a long-lasting solution to the fuel question.
President Museveni and the ministers are expected to pass the last resolution on the seemingly unstoppable escalating fuel prices, which have caused unforetold miseries to Ugandans, and worsened the already desperate economic situation also driven by negative effects of Covid-19.
Yesterday, the cabinet convened to deliberate over the same issue but they failed to reach an agreement due to parallel decisions and ideas, which prompted President Museveni to call for a second meeting, that is slated for today afternoon.
Speaking to the press earlier today, the Minister of Energy and Mineral Development Ruth Nankabirwa said they have dispatched a team of experienced experts to different parts of the country, to investigate and probe various fuel companies, which have reportedly refused to cut down fuel prices, even after being instructed to do so by the government.
Minister Nankabirwa said today’s cabinet meeting will decide the final and appropriate course of action, including serious reprisals and penalties for those companies, which have decided to hoodwink the public through levying extremely high charges, yet fuel prices on the world market have not changed.
“Just like yesterday, we talked about it during the cabinet meeting and we will finalize it today. And what I am sure of, this will end in good faith, all conditions will be lifted, such that Ugandans are not adversely affected,” Said minister Nankabirwa.
She also echoed a vengeance tone, warning that government would exact serious penalties to all those who continue to hike prices, even when the prevailing conditions do not necessitate such a move.
“I want to assure Ugandans that Cabinet will end this today, today Tuesday, Cabinet convened yesterday, discussing various matters of public realm and we are going back today. I want to warn all those who deliberately increase fuel prices, those who have selfishly decided to hike prices to alarming levels, that this situation is not permanent. They will face us because we regulate them,” she said.
The current escalation in fuel prices has been attributed to recent delays in clearance of fuel tankers at the Kenya-Uganda border points of Malaba and Busia, caused by mandatory Covid-19 testing of all truck drivers along with the two border points.
