MPs Demand UNOC Fuel Price Breakdown Amid Rising Pump Prices

What the report says

Ugandan lawmakers have asked the government and the Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC) to explain how fuel is priced as pump prices continue to rise. According to Watchdog Uganda, the call came during a plenary sitting on Wednesday, 7 October 2026, after Energy and Mineral Development Minister Monica Musenero briefed Parliament on the causes of the increase.

Musenero told MPs that the higher fuel prices were driven by several factors, including the weaker shilling, a Shs200 excise duty increase introduced in the 2026/2027 financial year, and pressure from global supply conditions. She also said UNOC serves as a buffer against external shocks and helps Uganda avoid some shortages and steeper increases seen in nearby countries. However, Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa said Parliament needed the actual price at which UNOC sells fuel to oil marketing companies so legislators can determine how much is being added before fuel reaches consumers.

Opposition Leader Joel Ssenyonyi argued that government should focus on the parts of the problem it can control, especially the tax increase that MPs had opposed during the budget process. Other MPs, including Isaac Otimgiw, Karim Masaba, Remigio Achia and Tanna Shyam, raised concerns about tax relief, exchange-rate losses and retail pricing. Minister Musenero said she had not yet received the selling-price details and would return to the House with more information.

The debate was adjourned pending a fuller government statement on the economy and the exchange rate, which MPs said is worsening fuel costs.