Burundi, Kenya only countries with more expensive fuel than Uganda in EAC

Uganda currently has the third most expensive fuel in the East African region, according to a global fuel price tracker. 

A comparison by GlobalPetrolPrices.com - a site that tracks fuel prices globally – indicates that a litre of petrol in Uganda costs an average of $ (Shs5,529), which is slightly lower compared to Kenya and higher than what is charged in Tanzania. 

In Kenya, a litre of petrol goes for an average of $1.522 (Shs5,799), while in Burundi and Rwanda, it costs $1.516 (Shs5,777) and $1.363 (Shs5,194), respectively. 

DR Congo and Tanzania have the cheapest petrol price with a litre going for an average of $1.156 (Shs4,405) and $1.26 (Shs4,801), respectively, according to GlobalPetrolPrices.com.   

Across the continent, Zimbabwe has the highest petrol prices standing at $1.69 (Shs6,440), while at the global scale, Hong Kong stands out with a litre of petrol going for an average of $3.184 (Shs12,133).  

The tracker does not provide price data for both petrol and diesel in South Sudan, which is also a member of the East African Community. 

Data further indicates that DR Cong has the lowest prices in the region for diesel, with litres going for $1.152 (Shs4,389). It is followed by Tanzania and Rwanda with a litre going for $1.239 (Shs4,721) and $1.301 (Shs4,957), respectively. 

In Uganda, a litre of diesel costs an average of $1.303 (Shs4,965). 

In East Africa, GlobalPetrolPrices.com data indicates that Kenya has the highest price for diesel with a litre costing an average of $1.487 (Shs5,666). Kenya is followed by Burundi with a litre going for an average of $1.476 (Shs5,624). 

Fuel prices remain a sticky issue across East Africa with an upward price movement impacting growth of the region and in particular economic health of member states. 

In Uganda, fuel prices are expected to increase in the 2024/25 financial year, starting in July due to new taxes, which have been proposed for all consumption categories. 

Early this month, government tabled new tax bills, among which proposed an increase in levies charged in petrol diesel and kerosene. 

Under the new tax proposals, the levy on every litre of petrol will increase by Shs100, from Shs1,450 per litre to Shs1,550. 

The bills further propose an increase of excise duty on diesel and kerosene, which effective July, will increase from Shs1,130 to Shs1,230 - an increase of Shs100 – and Shs200 to Shs500, respectively. 

Analysts have already indicated that the proposed increments will impact fuel prices at a time when they had started dropping to pre-Covid-19 period. 

However, the prices have in recent days moved northwards due to the impact resulting from a sharp depreciation of the shilling against the dollar since January. 

Prices of fuel across East Africa relate to taxation regimes, many of which depend on fuel levies as some of their biggest sources of tax. 

In Africa, Libya and Angola have the lowest fuel prices with a litre of petrol going for $0.031 (Shs118.1) and 0.36 (Shs1,371), respectively, while a litre of diesel costs $0.031 (Shs118.1) and $0.162 (Shs617.3), respectively, according to GlobalPetrolPrices.com. 

Petrol prices across EAC

 Diesel prices across EAC  

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