Oil firms urged to reveal genuine partners

By Billy Rwothungeyo

OIL companies have been urged to sensitise the public about the genuine partners who sell their products to boost the fight against substandard engine oils in Uganda.

The call was made on Friday after an operation by the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) in the heart of Kampala that led to the closure of Standard Wave Auto Parts shop.

The Nabugabo road shop was selling counterfeit engine oils to the unsuspecting members of the public.

“We urge all oil companies that manufacture and supply motor oils to inform members of the public who their authorized retailer are so that the public is not easily duped,” advised Margaret Lukoye, UNBS’ Public Relations Officer.

The sale of fake engine oil is rampant throughout the country. Some of the brands affected by this evil are those of major global players like Total, Shell and Kobil among others.

Usually, the production of this substandard oil is orchestrated from waste lubricants, which are purchased from gas stations, only to be recycled and  put in new packages—and thrown onto the market for the consumption of the unsuspecting public.

After a public uproar about substandard engine oils recently, UNBS and the Police combed shops in the city, which led to Shafik Lukyamuzi’s house in Bulange, where a lot of these substandard oils were being packaged.