Kampala, Uganda | URN | Eastern Uganda has recorded the highest level of noncompliance among fuel retailers in the country, accounting for nearly half of all violations detected by the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) in August 2026.
The latest Fuel Quality Monitoring Programme (FQMP) report shows that 58 of the 123 fuel stations found to be noncompliant were in the Eastern region, representing 47 percent of all violations recorded during the month.
The findings reinforce a trend that UNBS says it has observed consistently over the past decade, with Eastern Uganda repeatedly ranking as the country’s most noncompliant region in fuel quality and retail standards.
Peter Kitimbo, the supervisor of the Fuel Marking and Quality Monitoring Programme at UNBS, said the agency’s monitoring has been strengthened through the use of mobile laboratories.
Kitimbo said UNBS, working with the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development, acquired nine mobile laboratories to inspect fuel stations across the country and generate regular reports on compliance with quality standards.
The August report indicates that UNBS inspectors visited 4,924 retail fuel stations across the country. Of these, 123 stations were found to be noncompliant, mainly for operating without up-to-date licences or selling fuel that failed to meet the required standards. Eastern Uganda recorded the highest number of violations with 58 cases.
Western and Central Uganda followed with 22 cases each, representing 18 percent apiece, while Southern Uganda recorded 17 cases, or 14 percent. Northern Uganda had the lowest number, with four cases representing three percent of the total.
Kitimbo said one of the major forms of noncompliance is fuel adulteration, where some retailers mix kerosene with petrol or diesel to increase their profit margins. He said the practice can damage vehicle engines and ultimately leaves consumers to bear the cost.
Another problem identified by UNBS is the illegal movement of untaxed fuel from neighbouring countries, including through Lake Victoria.
Kitimbo said such fuel creates unfair competition because retailers dealing in smuggled products can sell at lower prices than those who comply with taxation and regulatory requirements.
UNBS has also identified dumping as a concern, involving the diversion of fuel products intended for export to the domestic market without following the required industry procedures.
Despite these violations, Kitimbo said the national fuel retail sector currently has a compliance rate of about 97 percent.
He, however, said enforcement is being undermined by several practices that allow some repeat offenders to evade monitoring.
One of the challenges is the transfer of ownership of fuel stations. Kitimbo said some operators with a history of noncompliance sell their stations to new owners, making it difficult for enforcement agencies to track previous violations and liabilities.
Another challenge involves operators who receive information that UNBS inspectors are approaching their areas. Kitimbo said some retailers temporarily remove or replace products suspected of being noncompliant, only to resume normal operations after inspectors leave.
He said some operators even keep their stations without fuel for extended periods to avoid inspection and later resume selling.
In Western Uganda, Kitimbo said some noncompliant operators have also attempted to evade enforcement by relocating their stations and presenting themselves as new investors.UNBS is now seeking to increase the frequency of inspections.
Kitimbo said the agency is expediting the acquisition of additional mobile laboratories, which he said would allow inspectors to move from monthly to weekly monitoring of fuel stations.
He said more frequent inspections would help close gaps that allow noncompliant operators to evade detection.
However, some fuel retailers in Eastern Uganda have called for a more flexible approach to enforcement, arguing that difficult market conditions make it difficult for small operators to meet all regulatory requirements.
Esther Najuma of Elle Petrol Station in Jinja City said fuel dealers operate on very narrow margins, with some making as little as 100 shillings per litre. She said the limited profit margins create pressure on some retailers to engage in practices such as adulteration.
Najuma also accused large fuel dealers of hoarding fuel in their depots, creating artificial shortages that allow them to sell fuel to smaller retailers at higher prices. She called on the Ministry of Energy to address what she described as exploitation by larger fuel suppliers.
Najuma said better wholesale prices would give smaller fuel retailers greater room to comply with regulatory requirements without resorting to illegal practices.
The competing explanations point to a wider challenge in fuel quality enforcement: while UNBS says most retailers comply with the standards, a relatively small group of operators continue to find ways around inspections, with consumers ultimately exposed to the consequences through poor-quality fuel, possible engine damage, and unfair pricing.
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