NYERI, Kenya, Sep 15 – Roads Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen says the drastic increase in fuel prices is as a result of the global rise in crude oil price.
Speaking when he officially opened the Agricultural Society of Kenya (ASK) show in Central Kenya, at the the Kabiruini grounds in Nyeri, Murkomen said that the prices would have been higher were it not for government to government arrangements that has stabilized fuel.
Murkomen said the best the government can do know is to subsidize farmers through provision of affordable fertilizer to mitigate cost of food.
The Energy Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) increased petrol, diesel, and kerosene prices by Sh16.96, Sh21.32, and Sh33.13 per litre, respectively.
This means that a litre of petrol, diesel, and kerosene will now retail at Sh211.64, Sh200.99, and Sh202.61 per litre in Nairobi starting at midnight.
“The average landed cost of imported Super Petrol increased by 4.80% from US$739.21 per cubic metre in July 2023 to US$774.67 per cubic metre in August 2023; Diesel increased by 12.52% from US$701.99 per cubic metre to US$789.89 per cubic metre while Kerosene increased by 19.79% from US$690.58 per cubic metre to US$827.26 per cubic metre,” EPRA announced on its X page.
Fuel is used in many sectors of the economy, such as transportation, industries, and homes.
A slight increase in prices means that transport operators and factories will have to pass high fuel bills on to consumers, coming at a time when the majority of them are facing tough economic times amid high costs of living.
