By Lilian Ntege
Uganda’s campaign to curb fuel adulteration and tax evasion has received a major boost following the delivery of two new state-of-the-art mobile laboratory units by SICPA Uganda to the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development (MEMD).
The new mobile fuel labs, fitted with advanced diagnostic technology, are designed to test petroleum products on site enabling regulators to detect contaminated or smuggled fuel in real time. Their addition brings Uganda’s total fleet of mobile testing units to ten, a significant step forward in enforcing national fuel standards.
“We are proud to support the Ministry’s effort to ensure the integrity of Uganda’s fuel market,” said Suzan Mweheire Kitariko, General Manager of SICPA Uganda. “These mobile labs will make monitoring faster, more efficient and more transparent across the entire supply chain.”
The mobile units will be deployed across different regions to strengthen the government’s Fuel Marking and Quality Monitoring Programme (FQMP), a system managed by MEMD and implemented by SICPA to safeguard fuel quality and government revenue.
According to Steven Barisigara, the Project Coordinator of FQMP, the additional laboratories will enhance coverage and improve the government’s ability to detect noncompliant fuel at depots, border points and fuel stations nationwide.
“By expanding field presence, we are closing the gaps that allow adulterated or smuggled fuel to reach consumers,” Barisigara said.
Fuel fraud through smuggling or mixing unregulated products has long been a challenge in Uganda’s petroleum sector. It not only damages vehicle engines but also leads to significant revenue losses for the government.
The FQMP uses chemical markers to identify genuine fuel and relies on laboratory analysis to confirm compliance. With the introduction of additional mobile labs, fuel inspections can now be conducted more frequently and closer to source points, reducing the lag between sampling and enforcement.
Each mobile unit is equipped with automated analysers capable of performing precise fuel-quality tests in the field. The technology allows a single technician to handle complex diagnostics, drastically improving efficiency.
Energy ministry officials say this investment reflects a wider government commitment to combat fuel fraud using science-based approaches and digital oversight tools.
The new equipment marks another milestone in Uganda’s energy regulatory reforms, following years of collaborative work between SICPA and MEMD to enhance compliance and consumer protection.
Officials say the next phase will focus on data integration and capacity building, ensuring inspectors and regional teams can operate the mobile labs effectively and sustain long-term monitoring.
“Every litre of fuel that meets quality standards protects consumers, the environment, and government revenue,” said Kitariko. “These labs are not just machines, they are part of Uganda’s accountability system.”