Matatu owners reveal plans to hike fare
By Joshua Cheloti
You might soon be paying more for your bus and matatu fare across the country.
This follows the revelation from the Matatu Owners Association that they are planning to increase the fares due to the high fuel prices that the country is witnessing.
According to the association’s chairperson Simon Kimutai, with the rising fuel prices, they have no other option but to also increase fares.
The move, Kimutai notes, is meant to ensure operators remain in business due to the current high cost of operations.
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File image of Matatu Owners Association president, Simon Kimutai. |Photo| Courtesy|[/caption]
“Any additional costs in business doing, it is common sense to pass it to the consumer. It is not exploiting but shifting the additional cost as it is,” Kimutai said in an interview with Capital FM News.
Kimutai points out that it is common knowledge that the country has been witnessing a fuel shortage in the last few weeks, which has also pushed the prices higher.
The shortage remains in place even as the Energy and Petroleum Authority (EPRA) on April 14, 2022, announced a Ksh9.9 increase in fuel prices for the next month.
“If anybody wants to make noise, make noise to the government, not us. We have tried telling them they should be sensitive to the fact majority of Kenyans use public transport and they should provide special subsidies to public transport because over 90 percent of Kenyans use public transport to transact businesses which benefit the government,” noted the Matatu Owners Association chair.
Following an increase in fuel prices, Super petrol, Diesel, and kerosene will retail at Ksh144.62, Ksh125.50 and Ksh113.44 respectively.
“The prices are inclusive of the 8 percent Value Added Tax (VAT) in line with the provisions of the Finance Act 2018, the Tax Laws (Amendment) Act 2020 and the revised rates for excise duty adjusted for inflation as per Legal Notice No. 194 of 2020,” EPRA said in a statement while announcing a review of the prices.
File image of Matatu Owners Association president, Simon Kimutai. |Photo| Courtesy|[/caption]
“Any additional costs in business doing, it is common sense to pass it to the consumer. It is not exploiting but shifting the additional cost as it is,” Kimutai said in an interview with Capital FM News.
Kimutai points out that it is common knowledge that the country has been witnessing a fuel shortage in the last few weeks, which has also pushed the prices higher.
The shortage remains in place even as the Energy and Petroleum Authority (EPRA) on April 14, 2022, announced a Ksh9.9 increase in fuel prices for the next month.
“If anybody wants to make noise, make noise to the government, not us. We have tried telling them they should be sensitive to the fact majority of Kenyans use public transport and they should provide special subsidies to public transport because over 90 percent of Kenyans use public transport to transact businesses which benefit the government,” noted the Matatu Owners Association chair.
Following an increase in fuel prices, Super petrol, Diesel, and kerosene will retail at Ksh144.62, Ksh125.50 and Ksh113.44 respectively.
“The prices are inclusive of the 8 percent Value Added Tax (VAT) in line with the provisions of the Finance Act 2018, the Tax Laws (Amendment) Act 2020 and the revised rates for excise duty adjusted for inflation as per Legal Notice No. 194 of 2020,” EPRA said in a statement while announcing a review of the prices. What's Your Reaction?
