Prime Minister fails to assure country on fuel reserves

“What I can assure the country in front of this camera is that the government has the reserves to make this country run,” she said.

Nabbanja made the half-hearted attempt to assure the country while responding to a matter of national importance raised by Hoima City Woman Member of Parliament, Hon. Asinansi Nyakato during the sitting of the House on Thursday, August 4.

Nyakato expressed worry about government’s preparedness in case of a fuel crisis stemming from the forthcoming Kenyan elections.

Nyakato said that next week Kenya would have its presidential elections, and there is a need to know if Uganda is prepared in case there is a fuel crisis and post-election violence, going by past experiences.

“I would like the Minister to update this House and Ugandans about the steps taken to prepare for any emergency in case there will be a fuel shortage and post-election violence that affects cargo movement,” she said.

The Speaker of Parliament, Anita Among, also reiterated the need to know how much fuel is in the reserves and if there are alternative routes to transport the fuel.

Nabbanja said that government has the reserves to make the country run.

The Third Deputy Prime Minister, Hon. Rukia Nakadama, said Uganda is prepared with fuel available in the reserves adding that the Tanzanian route will also be used to import fuel in case of a crisis.

Busiro County East MP, Hon. Medard Ssegona, sought to know the quantity of the oil in reserves in vain.

“Civilized governments will tell you in terms of quantity. We had our reserves in Jinja but we know that they are dilapidated; the issue of how much fuel we have is an issue of quantity,” Ssegona said.

Nabbanja did not specify how long the said reserves would be able to run the country in the worst-case scenario.