These parts of Kenya are facing acute fuel shortage
By Judy Jerono
An acute fuel shortage has hit various towns in the country where a big number of fuel stations in most parts of the country are turning motorists away.
As observed, business operations were disrupted for a better part of the day in Eldoret and the neighbouring counties as fuel shortages were reported.
The worst-hit places are Uasin Gishu, Baringo, Nandi, Elgeiyo Marakwet, Bungoma and Turkana Counties among other areas.
In Eldoret, several stations had run out of fuel while some stations which had run out of petrol, were forced to only sell diesel.
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File image of a fuel pump at a gas station. |Photo| Courtesy|[/caption]
The looming shortage of fuel is said to have been caused by the government not paying oil marketing companies fuel subsidies for the last four months resulting in the importation of fewer fuel products.
Other dealers were reluctant to place orders for fuel in anticipation of lower prices.
According to sources, most companies are selling fuel to dealers at a high price and therefore no one wants to purchase it.
Without the subsidy, consumers would have paid Ksh.133.89 for a litre of diesel, Ksh.144.25 for a litre of petrol and Ksh119.42 for kerosene.
However, the stations had adjusted the fuel prices to reflect new prices recently announced by the government.
In last month's fuel price review, the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) saved motorists from paying about Ksh.20 more on a litre of petrol due to the state subsidy that has kept pump prices unchanged for the fourth month in a row.
Further, due to the shortage, the main oil marketing companies responsible for importing fuel into the country are said to have snubbed non-franchised fuel stations on account of fewer products in the market.
The Energy and Petroleum regulatory authority statistics show that Kenya consumes 165.45 million litres of super petrol every month, 11.26 million litres of kerosene and 220.57 million litres of diesel.
File image of a fuel pump at a gas station. |Photo| Courtesy|[/caption]
The looming shortage of fuel is said to have been caused by the government not paying oil marketing companies fuel subsidies for the last four months resulting in the importation of fewer fuel products.
Other dealers were reluctant to place orders for fuel in anticipation of lower prices.
According to sources, most companies are selling fuel to dealers at a high price and therefore no one wants to purchase it.
Without the subsidy, consumers would have paid Ksh.133.89 for a litre of diesel, Ksh.144.25 for a litre of petrol and Ksh119.42 for kerosene.
However, the stations had adjusted the fuel prices to reflect new prices recently announced by the government.
In last month's fuel price review, the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) saved motorists from paying about Ksh.20 more on a litre of petrol due to the state subsidy that has kept pump prices unchanged for the fourth month in a row.
Further, due to the shortage, the main oil marketing companies responsible for importing fuel into the country are said to have snubbed non-franchised fuel stations on account of fewer products in the market.
The Energy and Petroleum regulatory authority statistics show that Kenya consumes 165.45 million litres of super petrol every month, 11.26 million litres of kerosene and 220.57 million litres of diesel. What's Your Reaction?
