Trying to stem the pandemic, Uganda creates a fuel crisis

By RODNEY MUHUMUZA
Associated Press

KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — A dispute over COVID-19 testing fees for truckers has created a fuel crisis in Uganda, highlighting an economic impact of the pandemic in a landlocked country with virtually no fuel reserves of its own. Mandatory COVID-19 testing at the country’s border with Kenya caused traffic congestion last week as Ugandan customs officials struggled to apply the rules amid opposition from truckers who demanded exemption if they carried proof of a negative test result from Kenya. With little movement at the border, many fuel stations across Uganda ran empty. Motorists lined up at the few still operating.