Pain still at the pump second week running
Motorists endured the second week of fuel shortage, despite President Uhuru Kenyatta signing off an Sh34 billion supplementary budget to compensate oil marketers and prevent hoarding.
Out of the amount, Sh8.2 billion was to go to fuel subsidy and compensate oil majors to ease the fuel shortage, with Petroleum Principal Secretary Andrew Kamau indicating the shortage would ease by Thursday last week.
Kamau further warned that companies found culpable of hoarding would be fined, even as oil majors say authorities owe them above Sh20 billion, a figure contested by the government which says it owes the dealers Sh13 billion.
A spot check by the People Daily across the country showed the commodity was still in limited supply, forcing different outlets to increase prices with motorists and boda boda’s opting to either park their vehicles at home or search for it in different towns.
Erratic supply
Several petrol stations on the outskirts of Nairobi did not have fuel. Affected is the stretch along Kangundo Road, Eastern Bypass and Thika Road. Some stations in the Central Business District and along Jogoo Road are said to have got some stock of fuel, which ran out by yesterday afternoon.
In Kisii town and its environs, matatus, boda boda operators and private motorists scrambled for fuel at various petrol stations due to the erratic supply, forcing the operators to increase prices.
“The price of petrol in Kisii town’s petrol station is Sh136 per litre but petrol stations outside the town sell at between Sh200 to Sh250 per litre,” Vincent Nyabuto, a boda boda operator told the People Daily.
Nyabuto said some traders bought the fuel and ferried it to rural areas where they sold a litre at Sh300.
Joshua Mon’gare, a boda boda group chairman at Galilaya stage on the outskirts of Kisii town said they were forced to increase fares by 10 per cent due to the shortage of the commodity.
“Our passengers have resorted to walking. We also operate minimally and save fuel since we are not sure when to get it,” said Mon’gare. In Nyamache town, petrol was retailing at between Sh160 and Sh180 per litre.
The situation was similar in Kakamega, with boda boda operators lucky to get fuel doubling their fares leading to a hue and cry from commuters. The situation was so desperate that some matatu operators from the county were searching for fuel in neighbouring Kisumu and Kapsabet towns.
“I managed to obtain 10 litres of fuel from a vendor at Shinyalu market at Sh200 per litre, I have to increase the fare to make some little profit,” said Salim Kunya, a matatu driver.
By yesterday evening, the price of petrol in Mombasa was Sh132.40, diesel Sh113 and kerosene Sh101 per litre.
—Additional reporting by Robert Ochoro, Dennis Lumiti, Harrison Kivisu
