The Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) supervisor enforcement in northern Uganda, Abel Gulu, has cautioned that fuel smuggling in the West Nile sub-region is no longer a revenue threat but also a security threat that is affecting generations.

He says everyone needs to be involved in the efforts to rid the region of the vice of smuggling in the West Nile.

Gulu’s caution stems from an incident where 43-year-old Asuru Doreen perished together with her 13-year-old daughter Irene Atibaru, a pupil of Ciaba Primary School after a petrol fire engulfed their kitchen.

Tragedy struck as the deceased woman filled mineral water bottles with petrol which she usually vends by the roadside, near their home at Tobolia Trading Centre in Pelele Village, Ciaba Parish, Logiri sub-county last week.

Anguyo Emmanuel, the brother to the deceased, revealed that as her sister who was seated by the kitchen door filled mineral water bottles with petrol from a 20-litre jerrycan, the daughter who complained of coldness entered and lit a fire. 

According to Anguyo, they suddenly heard a bang and saw a flash, rushed and tried to rescue the two, but their efforts proved futile because the fire spread at a very high speed, burning them to death.

This is the second petrol fire incident that has killed family members this year alone in Arua.

In January this year, several jerrycans filled with petrol stored in a house caught fire causing the death of a newly married couple in Okuazaku cell, Arivu ward in Arua city.

Now, Gulu is urging all stakeholders to run deliberate campaigns against the sale and storage of fuel in homes.

“Our people are dying, they are dropping out of schools just to sell fuel on the streets, it’s a whole generation that is getting wasted,” Gulu added.

He said URA is drawing strategies to particularly target the supply and demand side in the fuel value chain, in addition to prosecution of perpetrators of fuel smuggling. He said children arrested in the process of selling fuel will be arrested, and locked up in the remand home.

Bilateral engagement with DR Congo

Gulu says the other strategy to stamp out fuel smuggling in the region is to fasten the implementation of uniform tax policies through the customs union protocol.

“Some of these challenges are caused by differences in tax policies, systems and valuations among the East African Community countries. Engagements are going on to have similar policies, tax treatments and strategies,” adds Gulu.

On the issue of the porous border being exploited by the smugglers, Gulu says URA is working closely with other security agencies to manage the issue of smuggling of fuel across the porous borders.

Decline in academics

Gulu attributes the poor academic performance in the region to the involvement of children in various forms of smuggling.

“Children are being exposed to money at a very young age. Don’t allow your child to go on the streets to sell fuel for sh100 only. That child will go to school but will not concentrate in class. We have seen children praying for the term to end quickly so that they get on the streets to sell smuggled fuel,” Gulu warns.

He said UNEB results released at the end of the year are always poor largely because of the poor concentration in class by the learners.

Gulu urges religious, political and other leaders to rally behind URA to purge the West Nile sub-region and northern Uganda at large of all forms of smuggling.