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Moroto, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Vivo Energy Uganda has commissioned on-site bulk fuel storage and dispensing facilities at Kiira Motors Corporation in Jinja and West International Holding (WIH) Cement in Moroto, in a move aimed at reducing fuel-supply interruptions for two major industrial operations.
The installations, which include high-capacity storage tanks, automated dispensing systems and digital fuel-management technology, will allow the manufacturers to access Shell- branded fuels and lubricants directly at their production sites.
Vivo Energy Uganda, which markets and distributes Shell fuels and lubricants in the country, said the systems are designed to improve fuel availability, monitor consumption and reduce losses through automated volume tracking and spill-containment measures.
The company is positioning the investment under its commercial customer proposition, “Powering Your Next Move,” which focuses on helping industrial customers manage operating costs and maintain uninterrupted production.
Joanita Mukasa Menya, managing director of Vivo Energy Uganda, said the installations were intended to address logistical challenges associated with fuel supply to large industrial sites.
“Our partnership with WIH Cement and Kiira Motors goes far beyond supplying fuel,” she said. “By installing dedicated, automated fuel facilities right at their production facilities, we are removing logistical friction, protecting their equipment, and helping them maintain continuous production.”
She said the infrastructure would allow commercial customers to concentrate on their core manufacturing activities while Vivo Energy manages part of the energy- supply requirements.
Aminata Sarr, group head of commercial (B2B) business at Vivo Energy, said demand for customised energy solutions was growing among commercial and industrial operators across Africa.
“Commercial enterprises require energy partners who offer tailored solutions that drive operational efficiency and cost predictability,” Sarr said. She added that the installations at WIH Cement and Kiira Motors demonstrate how infrastructure, monitoring systems and supply-chain security can be combined to support industrial customers.
For Kiira Motors, the installation comes as the state-owned automotive manufacturer scales production at its vehicle plant in Jinja.
Eng. Paul Isaac Musasizi, chief executive officer of Kiira Motors Corporation, said reliable fuel supplies were important to the company’s manufacturing, testing and logistics operations.
“As we scale up commercial production of our Kayoola buses at the Kiira Vehicle Plant in Jinja, having guaranteed, high-quality fuel on-site is essential,” Musasizi said. “This bulk facility ensures our plant machinery, fleet testing, and logistics run without interruption.”
Kiira Motors Corporation emerged from a Makerere University innovation project and is part of Uganda’s efforts to develop domestic automotive manufacturing and green- mobility technologies. The company developed the Kiira EV and Kayoola Solar Bus and currently manufactures mass- transit electric and diesel buses, including the Kayoola EVS, at its Jinja plant.
At WIH Cement, the fuel facility is intended to support heavy manufacturing equipment and transport operations at the company’s integrated clinker and cement production facility in Moroto District.
Ma Chao, chief executive officer of West International Holding (WIH) Cement Uganda, said interruptions to fuel supplies can have a direct impact on production and distribution.
“In heavy manufacturing, equipment downtime directly affects market supply and costs,” Chao said. “Vivo Energy’s on-site fuel solution guarantees that our heavy machinery and transport operations run continuously with zero energy bottlenecks, supporting our long-term production targets in Uganda.”
WIH Cement, a subsidiary of West China Cement, manufactures cement, clinker and other construction materials under its Yaobao brand. Its operations in Moroto are anchored by a multi-million-dollar integrated clinker and cement manufacturing facility.
The latest installations form part of Vivo Energy Uganda’s broader expansion in the commercial fuels market, where it supplies customers in sectors including construction, manufacturing, agriculture and transport.
