Uganda Boosted Fuel Buffer to 10 Days Ahead of Kenyan Election

Aug 10, 2022

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(Bloomberg) -- Landlocked Uganda increased its fuel buffer to 100 million liters ahead of Kenya elections to avoid potential supply disruptions, as was the case in 2007 when voting-related violence erupted in Kenya, which is a main conduit for its imports.

The East African country built stocks over three months through July sufficient to meet domestic demand for at least 10 days, according to Solomon Muyita, an energy ministry spokesman.

The government holds about 30% of the stocks and the private sector has the rest. Inflows continue from both Kenya and Tanzania, with more importers embracing the longer route to the south, he said.

Other neighboring nations including Rwanda, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, which rely on Kenya’s Indian Ocean port for trade, faced fuel shortages after mobs uprooted railway lines and blocked roads in protest against the outcome of Kenya’s 2007 election.

Read more: Uganda Asks Kenya for Fixed Fuel Quota After Prices Jump 19%

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