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Kenya: Outcry Over High Petrol Prices
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The Nation (Nairobi)
8 December 2007
Posted to the web 7 December 2007
Nairobi
Kenyan motorists Friday asked the Government to act on the escalating fuel prices.
Through the Motorists Association of Kenya, they said the Government had the power to control fuel prices yet it was being reluctant.
The association's chairperson Peter Murima accused some of the oil companies of deliberately increasing the prices. He called on their members to shun these companies.
"It is high time motorists became proactive and resisted this cartel exploitation," said Mr Murima.
He added: "The insatiable appetites of oil marketers at the expense of vehicle owners must be checked now."
The rising fuel prices, he said, were pushing inflation up, and yet none of the presidential contenders had taken up the issue ahead of the December 27 poll .
Fuel prices in various parts of the country rose by about three shilling in the past week to sell at a high of Sh89 for a litre of petrol in some parts of Nairobi. This, despite improved performance of the shilling against the dollar.
And as authorities remained quiet on the issue, fuel dealers in the Western region joined their counterparts in Nairobi and Mombasa in raising their prices.
Petroleum outlets in the region increased the cost of petrol and diesel by Sh3 and kerosene by Sh4 sparking protests from consumers.
"The increase in the cost of petroleum products will impact negatively on our economy. It is harvest season and we require a lot of fuel to run machinery in our farms," said Mr Isaac Kibogy of Moiben in Uasin Gishu District.
The price of petrol has gone up in Eldoret from Sh81.99 to Sh84.99 per litre, while that of diesel has increased from Sh72.99 to Sh75.99 a litre. The price of kerosene has also increased from Sh55.79 to Sh59.49 per litre. Some filling stations attributed the price increase to a shortage of petroleum commodities.
This increase in fuel prices has consequently led to increase in bus fare by some matatu operators in the region.
But the Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) Western Kenya acting area manager Xavier Baraza said the company had a steady supply of petroleum products in its depots in the region.
"We have never experienced any problem with the supply of petroleum in our Kisumu and Eldoret depots. The problem could be with the oil marketing companies who have not cleared with Kenya revenue Authority," said Mr Baraza . "We have sufficient stock of petroleum products to meet demand for the entire region."
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Reports by Oliver Mathenge, Barnabas Bii and Sammy Cheboi
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