Gov't flags 4 petrol stations for overpricing fuel

Four petrol stations have been flagged by the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum for allegedly selling fuel above the prices announced by the regulatory body last week. In a statement on Tuesday, April 19, 2022, the Ministry stated that the filling stations located in Migori, Kehancha, Awendo and Isebania will face action for overpricing the commodity. The Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) noted that the government has launched a crackdown on the fueling stations following a comprehensive report by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) which revealed that some companies are selling fuel at a higher price than stipulated by the government. "In reference to action on non-compliant Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) and retail station operators, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has commenced investigations on companies that were reported not to maintain minimum operational stocks or to hoard petroleum in the past two weeks. [caption id="attachment_6317" align="alignnone" width="800"] File image of a petrol station attendant fueling a car. |Photo| Courtesy|[/caption] "EPRA acting on intelligence reports found 4 retail stations offering petroleum for sale above the recommended price. The stations were located at Migori, Kehancha, Awendo and Isebania," the statement read in part. The government called upon members of the public to report petrol stations selling fuel for prices higher than had been announced by the ministry. "Stern action will be taken against the operators and on this note. Consumers have been encouraged to immediately report any price non-compliant retail stations to EPRA for action." The Ministry also announced that the government will continue with import reallocations as earlier announced. "The process of reallocation of import capacities amongst OMCs is ongoing and will be completed by April 21, 2022," the Ministry stated, adding that fuel supplies have been restored in most parts of the country.

“By yesterday, the Ministry can confirm that the majority of petroleum retail stations across the country were carrying out business as normal. The long queues witnessed in the past two weeks were gone and normalcy in petroleum supplies was restored,” the statement read.

According to statistics by the Ministry, a total of 10.6 million litres of super petrol and 13.3 million litres of diesel were loaded and distributed around the country between April 14 and April 18.