Kenyans have been asked to brace for hiked fares following the increase in fuel prices on Tuesday.
The National Public Transportation Alliance (NAPTA) said on Thursday that fares will be increased as surging fuel prices make it increasingly difficult to stay afloat.
The Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) in its latest review increased fuel prices by Sh9. A litre of super petrol will go for Sh159.1, up from Sh150 the previous month.
A litre of diesel is currently selling at Sh140, while a litre of kerosene is going for Sh127.94.
Charles Aholi, one of the NAPTA executive directors, told the Star that the announcement will be made official in two weeks.
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“Unfortunately the fare increment is coming and commuters will have to dig deeper into their pockets,” he said
The hiked fares will be determined by whether the government will remove the fuel subsidy that has protected Kenyans from high prices, said Mr Aholi.
“The government is supposed to provide subsidies to its people but if the same people remove it then the commuters are the ones who will feel the pinch because if we in the transport sector maintain the same charges, the business will become unsustainable and very costly for us,” he added.
He explained that route managers are in discussions and that the fare increase will be announced soon.
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Chairman of the Matatu Owners Association (MOA), Simon Kimutai, expressed sympathy for the situation, adding that the government had abandoned its people.
“For us to be able to provide services we must increase the fare. All of us are being hit by the increase of fuel costs. The government knows what to do but instead its making life harder,” he said.
The National Treasury on Wednesday said the fuel subsidy had become untenable and risked draining its allocation estimated at Sh100 billion for both the 2021-2022 and the 2022-2023 financial years.
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