Kampala — MOTORISTS yesterday accused dealers of hoarding petroleum products to keep the price high.

Some motorists abandoned their vehicles at home to avoid the hassle of looking for fuel, which continued to be scarce for days now.

The head of UTODA, a taxi umbrella group, John Ndyomugyenyi, said some dealers were deliberately creating the scarcity.

"Most stations in town have no fuel, but there is fuel at stations owned by the same firms upcountry," Ndyomugyenyi said. He, however, said UTODA would not raise fares.

"However, if there is completely no fuel, the situation might force drivers to raise fares."

A taxi driver at the Bweyogerere stage near Kampala accused dealers of discriminating buyers. "When you go to refill, they tell you that they have no fuel. But when other people known to them go there, they get fuel."

The fuel scarcity pushed pump prices in Kampala to sh2,900 per litre of petrol from sh2,600 last week. Diesel shot up to sh2,600 from sh2,380.

The dealers' chairman, Rajni Tailor, dismissed allegations that dealers were hoarding fuel and discrimination, but that daily customers were being given priority.

For the second day, most filling stations in Kampala turned away motorists for lack of fuel. Shell Nakawa and Wandegeya remained dry. Motorists continued to queue at some stations.

Meeting dealers in Kampala on Tuesday, state minister for mineral development Kamanda Bataringaya the government was addressing the delay in fuel from Kenya. In the meantime, Bataringaya advised fuel dealers to use the Dar-es-Salaam port.