MOMBASA - The first consignment of 24 fuel trucks has left the Kenyan port of Mombasa for Kigali as part of the 12 million litres of fuel for the national fuel reserves.

According to the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Trade, Commerce and Investment Promotion, Antoine Ruvebana, the trucks are expected to arrive in town this weekend. However, Ruvebana said that he is yet to receive details of the trucks including the volume of fuel they are carrying.

"We plan to have the 12 million litres of fuel imported to Rwanda in the shortest time possible; here we are looking at a period ranging between one and two months,” said Ruvebana.

The government hired HASHI Empex through the Rwanda Public Procurement Authority, (RPPA) to transport the fuel from Kenya, but according to Ruvebana, they are in the processes of hiring another company to assist in transporting the fuel.

HASHI Empex is a Kenyan leading exporter of refined petroleum products in the East and Central African region.

Ruvebana said: "We want to have another company assist in transporting the fuel so that we can have it all here as soon as possible and so far RPPA is finalizing the process of awarding that tender.”

Statistics from the Ministry of Commerce indicate that Rwanda spends about 200,000 litres of fuel a day. Meanwhile, Ruvebana expressed his appreciation on behalf of the ministry to Rwandans for abiding by the ministerial orders of effectively using the little fuel that has been available.

"The conditions were not simple, especially the fuel rationing, but Rwandans accepted the conditions, we appreciate their patience,” he said.

The ministry fixed quotas of fuel not to be exceeded for different categories of vehicles as an temporary measure to the rampant fuel shortages over the past one month.

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