East Africa: Tanzania to supply petroleum to Uganda

(SomaliNet) In a bid to salvage the impending oil shortage that has resulted from the post-election violence in Kenya, the Ugandan government is in the process of procuring petroleum products from Tanzania.

“We have given a local company the contract to deliver 20 million litres of diesel and 10 million of petrol. We have given the supplier a tight schedule so that he delivers as soon as possible,” a source in the energy ministry said.

He said the first quarter of each product was expected within 14 days and the entire consignment would take 72 days to arrive.

“This is because of the logistics within the system. We are advising him to use the Tanzanian route because we don’t want to compete with other suppliers,” the source added.

He explained that part of the reason for using Tanzania apart from the violence in Kenya was the need to activate the route, which has been dormant for long.

“If the Government uses this route, it is likely to activate it.”

However, he said despite the chaos, some trucks belonging to private firms would still load from Mombasa and transport the petroleum products by railway, while a few others might still be able to make it by road.

A ministerial delegation and other top government officials have already departed for Tanzania to hold talks with authorities there about the alternative route.

The delegation departed against a backdrop of waning supplies at major petrol stations, although the energy minister, Daudi Migereko, said several tankers were on their way from Kenya and Tanzania.

The delegation will also access the logistical capacity (storage) of several places in Dar-es-Salaam.

Migereko has advised the nation to use fuel sparingly, cautioning that although the Government is trying its best, the situation has not normalised.-New Vision