Fuel shortage in Kenya enters second week
Motorists queue for fuel at Shell filling station in Chuka town in Tharaka Nithi County. It's the only facility with fuel in the town. PHOTO | NMG
What you need to know:
- Most filling stations in Nairobi were either closed or had long queues on Sunday as people tried to fill up.
Nairobi. The countrywide shortage of fuel in Kenya has entered the second week despite the government assuring Kenyans that there are enough petroleum products.
On Friday, Energy Cabinet Secretary Monica Juma said that a ship carrying 100 million litres of super petrol had docked at the Kipevu Oil Terminal.
President Uhuru Kenyatta had earlier signed a supplementary budget that unlocked Sh34.4 billion for the fuel subsidy programme.
But Nation.Africa observed long queues at the few filling stations that had fuel.
An attendant at a Shell station on Thika Road said that only the V-Power fuel, which is slightly more expensive than super petrol, was available.
“We were expecting fuel on Thursday but what we have now is V-Power and it is running out as we speak,” she said.
On Mombasa Road, some stations restricted motorists to no more than Sh2,000 worth of fuel.
“Tumezoea shida,” a motorist told an attendant, resigning to the purchase limit.
Most filling stations in Nairobi were either closed or had long queues on Sunday as people tried to fill up.
Panic-buying
The fuel shortage has persisted for the last three weeks though the government released Sh34.4 billion to clear arrears owed to oil marketers for the fuel subsidy programme that has been in place since June last year.
Last week, the government urged Kenyans to resist the temptation of panic-buying, saying there were enough fuel stocks.
Petroleum Principal Secretary Andrew Kamau said fuel marketers accused of hoarding petrol and diesel will be fined, adding that investigations into the shortage were being finalised and setting the stage for financial penalties and licence withdrawals.
He added that supply hitches that caused the nationwide fuel shortage were expected to ease by Thursday last week.
“By Thursday we will be back to normal. Today (Monday) we paid Sh8.2 billion to the marketers and since yesterday (Sunday) depots were opened and marketers have been working to refill their stations,” Mr Kamau told Business Daily at the time.
The fuel shortage compounded the misery of drivers, who are already facing record high pump prices.
The Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (Epra) is working on its monthly price review, with new prices expected on Thursday.
In Nairobi, super petrol and diesel are retailing at Sh134.72 and Sh115.60 per litre respectively. Kerosene is selling for Sh103.54 a litre.
