This archive report was first published on 24 September 2019.
Uganda has long been a pioneer in economic liberalisation and free market reforms, but it has also had a tendency to backtrack when reforms become politically inconvenient.
One of the most striking examples of this is the attempt to register coffee farmers, which could potentially require them to obtain a permit to plant the crop in what has been the continent's freest market coffee market.
However, Uganda's fuel market has been a different story. The country was among the first in the region to liberalise its fuel market, dismantling state control of pump prices in the late 1980s.
Today, Uganda has more fuel stations than many other countries in the region, with local independent companies getting licences to sell fuel and oil majors like Shell and Total expanding their presence.
But while this has led to a more competitive market, it has also raised concerns over the quality of fuel being sold. There have been reports of some retailers 'juicing' the fuel they sell, mixing it with other fluids.
As a result, many consumers have turned to Shell and Total petrol stations, which are seen as offering higher-quality fuel. In fact, there are now more Shell and Total petrol stations in Kenya and Uganda than there were 10 years ago.
Despite the challenges, the fuel market in Uganda remains a vibrant and dynamic sector, with new players emerging all the time. And as the country continues to urbanise and its population grows, the demand for fuel is only likely to increase.
But for now, it seems that the creative fuel sellers of Uganda will continue to thrive, even if it means that some consumers have to pay a premium for higher-quality fuel.
Charles Onyango-Obbo is publisher of data visualiser Africapaedia and Rogue Chiefs.
