Kenyans who rely on petroleum products for their day to day activities will from midnight dig deeper into their pockets after the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) announced a further increase in fuel prices in the April review.
In the changes announced on Thursday, the maximum retail prices of super petrol, diesel and kerosene increase by Ksh9.90 per litre.
Following the increment, a litre of petrol in Nairobi will from Friday, April 15, retail at Ksh144.62, diesel Ksh125.50 and that of kerosene at Ksh113.44 per litre.
EPRA Managing Director Daniel Kiptoo attributed the rise in fuel costs to increased landed costs of all three products with the landed cost of petrol, diesel and kerosene increasing by 20.5%, 24.7% and 11.8% respectively.
Kiptoo noted that the new prices have been subsidised to cushion Kenyans amid the fuel crisis in the world that has seen the cost of fuel rise exponentially due to the Ukraine war.
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The fuel subsidy, he said, spared Kenyans from greater fuel costs without which petrol costs were expected to hit Ksh.173.70.
Without the subsidy the cost of super petrol, diesel and kerosene would rise by Ksh29.08, 40.24 and Ksh46.55 respectively.
Last month, super petrol retailed at Ksh134.72 per litre, diesel at Ksh115.60 and Kerosene at Ksh103.54 in Nairobi.
Earlier, Energy and Petroleum Cabinet Secretary Monica Juma said the cost of fuel in the country is lower compared to other countries in the East African Community (EAC).
Addressing the current fuel shortage in the country, the CS accused some oil marketers of sabotaging the economy by hoarding the commodity.
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She asked those unwilling to supply the commodity to exit the market.
“The country has sufficient fuel stocks. We have determined that some players are hoarding fuel with hopes that a review in prices will provide them with a financial windfall,” she said.
“This government will not tolerate any entity or person causing distress or creating an artificial problem. Any entity not ready, able or willing to work within the framework of the laws of Kenya is invited to vacate this market promptly.”
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