Uganda has filed a case against Kenya at the East African Court of Justice, alleging that Nairobi reneged on an earlier commitment made last April to support Kampala's desire to import fuel directly and obstructed the issuance of an oil import license through the port of Mombasa, according to local media.
Landlocked Uganda claimed the right to import through Kenya's pipeline systems and justified access to the port of Mombasa on the basis of the East African Community Treaty.
The requirements included proof of annual sales of 6.6 million liters of super petrol, diesel and kerosene, ownership of a licensed oil depot and at least five local retail stations, which UNOC considered "unnecessary as the petroleum products in issue were wholly transit goods not destined for the Republic of Kenya."
In addition, the government of Yoweri Museveni has asked the court to stop Kenyan Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) from importing fuel on behalf of Uganda.
"The complete reliance and dependency on Kenyan OMCs to import and supply petroleum products to Uganda have exposed the Republic of Uganda to supply vulnerabilities resulting in an avoidable increase in fuel pump prices," court documents submitted by Uganda read.
In November, the Ugandan Parliament passed the Petroleum Supply Bill 2023, which gives the state-owned UNOC the exclusive right to import and supply all petroleum products destined for the Ugandan market.
The country's Committee on Environment and Natural Resources blasted Kenyan middlemen who "adversely disadvantaged Ugandans in access to petroleum products timely and in the required quantities."
According to the government, Uganda imports 90% of its petroleum products through Kenya and 10% through Tanzania.