Petrol up as kerosene, diesel users spared in latest fuel price review
Noel Wandera and Lewis Njoka
ENERGY: Low-income households using kerosene and motorist using diesel were spared a price surge after the price of the commodities remained unchanged for the third month in a row.
Those using petrol saw the Energy, Petroleum and Regulatory Authority (EPRA) increase prices by an extra 77 cents per litre compared to last month.
Consequently, in the latest review that takes effect at midnight for the next 30 days to July 14, a litre of petrol in Nairobi will cost Sh127.14, Sh124. 72 in Mombasa, Sh126. 75 in Nakuru and Sh127. 67 in Eldoret and the lakeside Town of Kisumu.
As for diesel, prices will remain unchanged at Sh107.66 a litre in Nairobi, Sh105. 27 in Mombasa, Sh107. 55 in Nakuru and Eldoret, and Sh107. 46 in Kisumu.
Similarly for kerosene, with the unchanged prices, a litre in Nairobi will retail at Sh97. 85, while in Mombasa the commodity will still fetch Sh95.46, similar to Nakuru, while in Eldoret, it will be sold at Sh 98.68.
Now that the costs of diesel and kerosene remained unchanged yet the landed cost increased across the board, it goes to indicate that the price stabilisation scheme by the Ministry of Petroleum to cushion Kenyans from greater fuel costs could be in play.
According to the EPRA Acting Director General Daniel Bargoria, the average landed cost of imported super petrol increased by 1.52 per cent from $488.69 per cubic metre in April 2021 to $496.10 per cubic metre in May, same as diesel which rose in the period under review by 5.08 per cent to $461.95 per cubic metres from $439.60, while kerosene increased by4.41 per cent from $430.4 per cubic metres per barrel to $449.37.
Murban crude
Free on board price of murban crude oil lifted in May 2021 was posted at $67.71 per barrel, an increase of 5.90 per cent from $63.94 per barrel in April.
The government has been working towards making the petroleum consolidated fund operational to arrest the fluctuation of fuel prices.
While appearing before the Senate Energy Committee on Monday, Petroleum Cabinet Secretary John Munyes said regulations to govern the operation of the stabilisation fund are almost complete to continue cushioning Kenyans from the high fuel costs.
