Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has revealed how a Kenyan senator helped his government discover a costly problem in the country’s fuel import system.
Museveni made the revelation on Thursday, September 17, 2026, during the groundbreaking ceremony for a new 320-million-litre fuel storage terminal in Mpigi District, Uganda.
According to Museveni, a Kenyan senator alerted him that Uganda was buying petroleum products through middlemen in Kenya instead of dealing directly with bulk suppliers and refineries.
The Ugandan president said the information surprised him and forced him to question how the country was sourcing its fuel.
Museveni did not reveal the name of the Kenyan senator.
He said the intervention later helped Uganda change its fuel procurement strategy and reduce the premiums paid for petroleum products.
According to figures shared by Museveni, the price of diesel dropped from $118 to $83 per metric tonne. Petrol costs fell from $97.50 to $61.50, while aviation fuel dropped from $114.25 to $79.25 per metric tonne.
The changes have been linked to Uganda’s decision to reduce reliance on middlemen and give the state-owned Uganda National Oil Company a bigger role in importing petroleum products.
Museveni’s remarks have once again placed Kenya-Uganda fuel trade under the spotlight. Kenya has for many years served as an important transit route for Uganda’s petroleum imports, with fuel moving from the Port of Mombasa through Kenya.
The Ugandan government has since been working to strengthen its own petroleum infrastructure.
The new Kampala Storage Terminal in Mpigi will have a capacity of 320 million litres and is expected to improve Uganda’s ability to store fuel and manage supply disruptions.
The development comes as Uganda prepares for increased oil production and continues expanding its petroleum industry.
Museveni’s latest disclosure has also attracted attention in Kenya because of the unnamed senator’s role in bringing the fuel issue to his attention.
As of Friday, September 18, the senator’s identity had not been publicly disclosed.