Fuel crisis: It is more than dealing with Shell dealers

Why was hearing the soothing, reassuring and tough voice of Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja saying, ‘we shall deal with those dealers of Shell’ not comforting to me at all? 

It is 8am and I am heading to work. I have just branched to my usual and favorite Shell ‘fuel save’ station, I think the cheapest in town and those who count the cents will know which one I believe. 

The Prime Minister is assuring us that government is doing everything to bring down the price of fuel and of course, deal with errant dealers fleecing Ugandans. 

My biggest temptation is to call the PM and ask, ‘when, when, when, Madam? There is just no comfort.

I was fuelling at Shs5,080  perhaps for the sake of rounding off, let’s just say Shs6,000.

 The Shell pump attendant is holding, I must add, provocatively a huge bundle of Shs50,000 notes, when my  Shs100,000 has not even made an observable movement on my fuel gauge. It has just given under 20 litres of petrol. 

It is over a month, since fuel prices became something to watch each day. Maybe our television stations can now also add on fuel prices in addition to the Exchange Rate shown daily while the traffic update guys can also tell us which fuel stations are not fleecing Ugandans and we go to queue there. 

In fact, I did not go to the village for Christmas festivities, claiming that I was watching the coronavirus because many people are travelling, when actually my concern was fuel. That means even before the major logjam last month, things in the fuel department were no longer at ease. 

It may seem, going to work physically is becoming a major financial decision. Ironically, while working from home can be an option, the cost of data is likely to drive you to your office. 

There is no comfort in staying home either. It is safe to drive to work and possibly find something funny to laugh at with colleagues than spend hours at home pretending to work.

 Home is actually the site of everything not working. You watch your electricity units going and going, then you need to eat and there is nothing exciting. Its better to come home and go to sleep.

Talking of the cost of internet, some students were on strike last week from some place over there. Their issue, ‘they don’t understand blended learning when the economy has been fully opened’. For the students, if even ‘night dancers’ have been given permission to do their thing, ‘party after party’ in Ugandan parlance, how can they not be in class when they have paid fees? 

To add salt to their injury, even boda’bodas are now in ‘full full condition’ as they say, complete with that terrifying experience of driving during rush hour, when your car is bound to get a big scratch and off the boda guy goes looking back as if they have achieved something major, while you gap hopelessly. 

And that in 2022, university students don’t understand why blended learning is good for them even in an open economy when the future of learning is getting blended is something to deeply reflect on. 

Talking of the economy opening, it is interesting how often we all talk of the magic of the open economy. Government officials speak like a tap has been opened and because it was not giving off water for the period it has been closed, water will gush off to anything open waiting to receive it. 

Our idea of complete opening for most people seem to mean that we can now do whatever, act as if Covid-19 just vanished. And things can begin to flow at ease. 

Yet, in reality, an open space does not necessarily mean that it’s smooth all the way. What it means is that we have some air to breathe, but the recovery will take a while or may be brutal. Some things will take longer than others. How fast we all experience the reality of an open economy will be dependent on a lot of factors, including normal fuel prices.

What is needed, is to buckle up and do a lot more than just deal with dealers of shell as the PM has promised. It is hard to believe that this whole crisis is about greedy fuel stations not understanding that Ugandans are broke and need sympathy. Some mistakes have been made by decision makers and they need to own up and find solutions, fast. 

In some places, a fuel crisis like this would not be taken lightly or dealt with at leisure because of its ripple effect on all productive sectors and movement of people, goods and provision of services. And one hopes that sooner or later, this situation will be under control. 

Anyway, Shell is making up to lovebirds, as the PM is promising to deal with dealers of Shell, Ugandans will perhaps today be heading to Shell for their share of smile and a memorable Valentine’s Day.

Ms Maractho (PhD) is the director of Africa Policy Centre and senior lecturer at Uganda Christian University.                       [email protected]