Court dismisses case against govt oil agreement with Bidco

The Constitutional Court has dismissed a petition that was filed 15 years ago challenging the agreement entered between the government of Uganda  and BIDCO Oil Refineries Limited for the development of the Oil Palm Industry in the country.

A panel of five Constitutional Court Justices led by Kenneth Kakuru have unanimously dismissed the petition filed by former Kyadondo South MP Issa Kikungwe who passed on in 2017 and Lubaga South MP John Ken Lukyamuzi.

The petition was dismissed on ground that it lacked merit and that there was nothing constitutional for Court to interpret.

Kikungwe and Lukyamuzi filed the case in 2006 challenging a decision to grant BIDCO Oil Refineries Limited a superior status over other oil producers.

Their petition followed the  4th April 2003 agreement entered between  government  and BIDCO to process palm oil in Kalangala District.

The petitioners argued that   BIDCO was exempted from import and stamp duty taxes and value added tax for a period of 25 years which decision they said was discriminatory and unconstitutional.