Is that all you can say? Ugandans question PM Nabbanja’s suggestion to boycott fuel stations that have refused to lower prices

Following the refusal of some fuel stations to lower oil prices, the Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja on Wednesday rallied Ugandans to boycott oil stations that have refused to lower fuel prices.

She said in a cabinet meeting held this week, government came up with measures to stabilize the fuel prices and it was not nolonger proper for oil stations to keep on increasing the fuel prices.

“I want to advise Ugandans to go to petrol stations that have not hiked the prices. Two companies have not hiked prices, therefore go and buy from those ones. Others will also follow because it is now not necessary for any company to hike the price above Shs 5000,” Nabbanja said.

However, Ugandans via social media have lashed out to the Prime Minister saying her suggestion is not solution enough. They say instead of calling for a boycott, she should have come up with tough penalties against the errant petrol station to ensure that all of them come up with a lower and slightly uniform fuel prices.

Here are some of the Twitter reactions;

Angelo Owengeye; Now Madam PM, do you know something about demand and supply? If you don’t have any alternative how will you keep the boycott going?

#ML; Imagine she serves a government that has been in power for over 35 years but can’t even afford to have a mere drop of fuel in its reserves! IDI Amin must be laughing wherever he is.

Perry Aritua; We know what happens when fuel prices rise. All other goods and services are affected. consider the bigger picture instead of asking Ugandans to use fuel stations that sell fuel at 5k? The price of 1 litre of fuel is too high. What’s the government strategy to get it reduced?

Jayms K; Nabbanja is simply saying we push our cars.

Bantu Nation; Does she live in Uganda?? 1 station in a village or zone and you have zero fuel. That means Ugandans should park vehicles hahaha.

Kagoma; Fishermen at work.

Prince; At policymaker level one would be talking of fuel reserves for a year, not the nursery rhyme solutions.

Mzee Kamba Bhamusangala; Do you understand what is meant by a “free market economy”? You have no moral grounds to object to price fluctuations down or upwards. It’s the willing buyer and seller to determine.

Gabriel Lule; A whole so-called cabinet meeting of a country and that’s what you can come up with, all your heads up together. You just have the art of making people speechless. Thanks for the cabinet meeting on the matter and to all those who attended.

Dobber; Asking the public to boycott the high fuel is like a father asking children to eat at the neighbour’s because the mother is a bad cook. You have the mandate to fix any and all policy issues to stave off such crises, not respond like you are in Opposition.

Jayant Patel; The price of 5000 is already a hiked price. Those selling at 5000 have hiked their prices by 15 per cent.