Concern over sale of bottled fuel in Bukedi

The illegal sale of petrol and diesel placed in bottles is booming along major roads and trading centres in the Bukedi Sub-region. The bottled fuel is sold in total disregard of stipulated safety measures, posing a fire risk in areas where this illicit business is conducted.  Mr Patrick Duchu, the Pallisa LC5 chairman, said the areas, including busy highway trading centres where the business is booming, are sitting on a time bomb. “Petrol is highly flammable. Selling it in soda and mineral water bottles under the scorching sunshine, at times near open flames where chapati is being cooked or in areas where there is smoke, is extremely dangerous. If a spark occurs, then, there is a possibility of the country losing many innocent lives and property within minutes,” he said. He added that the main buyers of the bottled petrol are boda boda riders. 

Mr Duchu said people are attracted to the bottled fuel because it is cheaper than that sold at licensed filling stations. “Yes, this could be a good venture for our unemployed people, particularly the youth to get income but also it turns out to be dangerous to the community,” he said. “We call upon the government to reverse this trend . Even the law doesn’t allow petrol to be sold in containers but instead it is supposed to go direct [in to the vehicle],” Mr Duchu said. The Daily Monitor found out that the youth and some elderly women in trading centres across the sub-region, some of whom are illiterate, are engaged in this illicit business.  The fuel is displayed openly in stalls, kiosks, and even in front of shops. The Pallisa Resident District Commissioner (RDC), Mr Magidu Dhikusooka, who doubles as the district security chairperson, said a sensitisation drive has been launched to compel those engaged in the dangerous fuel trade to quit. 

He added that those who do not quit voluntarily would be dealt with in an operation that would be launched soon. “The security committee has embarked on an engagement with the vendors dealing in the sale of illicit petrol to understand the dangers before they are taken off the streets” he said.  Those engaged in the illicit trade argue that they are simply responding to the market demand. Others said they had no other source of income, adding that the authorities should provide them with alternatives before banning their business. Some boda boda riders who spoke to Daily Monitor said they preferred buying fuel in small quantities—often between Shs2,000 and Shs3,000—because they could not afford the cost at filling stations. 

“Not everyone can afford to fill a tank or purchase fuel of more than 10,000 because for us as motorists, we want fuel depending on the trips we make,” said Mr James Damba, a boda-boda rider in Kamonkoli Town Council.  Some locals have expressed concern over the illicit trade. “Petrol sold in soda bottles can easily evaporate, creating a hazardous environment for both sellers and buyers,’ Mr Paul Kirya, an opinion leader in Budaka district, said. The North Bukedi Regional Police spokesperson, ASP Wilfred Kyempasa, cautioned locals against engaging in the bottled fuel business.  “We will soon embark on cracking down on such illegal sale of petrol in bottles. This practice is totally unacceptable and dangerous to the people,” he said.

The Petroleum Act, 2024 prohibits the sale and storage of unauthorised fuel, especially in unlicensed and unsafe locations.  

Local leaders have called upon the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development to provide more filling stations in rural area. They said some motorists resort to the bottled fuel because there is no other source of fuel in some rural areas.  

Mr Joseph Kalagala, an elder in the sub-region, accused the government of dragging its feet in a situation which calls for urgent attention. He said the government should not wait for a tragedy to occur before it intervenes. 

 This publication, however, learnt that several fuel stations in the region have sometimes experienced intermittent supply disruptions, with some citing delays in fuel deliveries. Others struggle to meet demand during peak hours, and this frustrates customers.  This has opened a window for informal vendors, who buy petrol in bulk and sell it in used soda and mineral water bottles for a quick profit. 

“We don’t have time to waste. The bottle sellers are always available and close to us. It’s the reason why we opt for them and more so, they are cheaper than the pump price,” Mr Julius Higenyi, a boda boda rider in Naboa Town Council, said. The Vivo Energy Communication Officer, Mr Valery Oketcho, said those engaged in the illicit trade sell adulterated to motorists. “For case of Shell, our petrol machines give the right quantity based on the routine check-up by the Uganda National Bureau of Standards. These machines work in a metered manner. We operate on standard procedures,” Mr Oketcho said. The Uganda National Bureau of Standards Communication Officer, Ms Sylvia Kirabo, also warned people against selling fuel in bottles and cautioned motorists against buying the illicit fuel, saying it is of poor quality.