PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni has directed the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) to investigate the alleged sell of adulterated diesel in the city.
“We have received reports that petrol stations are mixing diesel with paraffin. “The President is concerned. He directed us to investigate the matter and report back to him,” Deusdedit Mubangizi, the UNBS quality assurance chief, said.
He attributed the practice to the scarcity of diesel which recently pushed pump prices to more than 2,000 a litre in the city and up to sh3,000 a litre in upcountry areas.
Mubangizi was speaking during a workshop on “Photovoltaic Standards Implementation and Enforcement at the Sheraton Kampala Hotel.
The workshop aimed at sensitising manufacturers, contractors, consultants, traders, suppliers and solar products dealers on the new standards and the law enforcement mechanisms.
Mubangizi said UNBS had started controlling standards for generators. “We started this exercise last August.
“Our concern was on labelling. We no longer allow paper stickers on imported generators.
“This has resulted in the re-exportation of 100 generators,” he disclosed.
John Okumu, the UNBS senior material engineer, said due to increased power shortage, several people had resorted to the using solar power.
Uganda needs 125 mega watts to solve the energy crisis. “Our people in rural areas using batteries and inverters but most of these have been found to be substandard and one way of minimising this problem is to bring on board the stakeholders so that they are aware of the required standards,” he said.
Okumu explained that a genuine solar panel lasts between 25 and 30 years. “But our people are not aware of these qualities and most of them have got panels that last for few years.”
