By Executive Editor

President Yoweri Museveni has confirmed assigning the then Energy Minister, Mary Goretti Kitutu, an assignment she never delivered.

The President was this afternoon addressing the issue of middlemen in procuring fuel for Uganda.

Uganda imports petroleum products of the magnitude of 2.5billion litres per annum valued at about US$ 2bn.

He, however, says that Uganda has been buying fuel at high costs.

Take a look:

1. Diesel:
   I. Middlemen’s price – $118;
   II. Price from bulk suppliers or Refiners -$83;
2. Petrol:
   I. Middlemen’s price -$97.5;
   II. Bulk suppliers or Refiners’ price- $61.5;
3. Kerosene:
   I. Middlemen’s price – $114;
   II. Bulk suppliers or Refiners’ price – $79

“These are prices when the products have arrived at the East African Ports. You can see the huge loss Uganda has been incurring on account of our wonderful People,” the President said.

According to the President, Uganda was buying this huge quantity of petroleum products from middlemen in Kenya.

“A whole country buying from middlemen in Kenya or anywhere else!! Amazing but true,” he wondered.

“Why not buy from the Refineries abroad and transport through Kenya and Tanzania, cutting out the cost created by middlemen? Those involved were not bothered by these issues.”

Some few years ago, he said that “I got to know this information from whistle-blowers.”

“I handed the matter to Minister Kituttu to handle. About a year ago, I got to know that the matter was never handled. When I studied the issue, I discovered that we lose so much by buying through the middlemen,” he said.

Kitutu is currently the Minister in charge of Karamoja. Some time this year, she was arrested for stealing iron sheets meant for the vulnerable people in Karamoja.