By Suleiman Sabdow
Kenyans continue to express their concerns over the increase of fuel prices by the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) on Tuesday night that will see the fuel products rise to the highest level in the history of Kenya ever since.
This barely comes a few after the government discontinued the subsidy scheme that it had put up in April to try and ease public outrage over the high cost of living in the country.
The pinch of the review of the pump prices has left many Kenyans especially those from North Eastern Kenya being the hardest hit as a litre of petrol retails at 145 shillings in Wajir county up from 135 shillings. Motorists from Wajir, Mandera, and Garissa counties say they are forced to dig deep into their pockets in a bid to keep themselves afloat with the current hardship economy.
Abdiqani Bishar Ahmed, the chairman of Wajir taxi drivers association told the media that the fuel prices hike has brought them a burden raising his displeasure over the hiking of the fuel prices by the regulator terming it unwise move.
“We are forced as taxi drivers to increase the fares so that we can get enough money to buy fuel,” said Abdiqani. He urged the passengers to prepare for tough times ahead due to the hiking of the fuel products.” I am asking the passengers to know that the government has increased the fuel prices and therefore we will have to raise the fares”.
Abdiqani added that the current fare prices of 100 shillings that they charge their customers are not enough and we are compelled to hike the prices.
Business Owners from Mandera county have also voiced their anger over the high cost of fuel prices in the country calling on the government to reduce the fuel prices so as to avert the increase of basic commodities in the country.
Hussein Abdullahi who is a small-scale trader said that the increase of the fuel products will adversely affect them as small-scale traders noting that they will not afford to buy commodities from other traders due to the rise of the pump prices.
“I am appealing to the government to come up with a solution to address this problem so as to a kid the common mwananchi from suffering under the strained economy that has been shattered by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Abdullahi
The Central Organization of Trade Unions (COTU) has opposed the increase in fuel prices, urging the government to find alternative and innovative ways to raise taxes.
In a statement issued this morning, COTU Secretary General Francis Atwoli called on President Uhuru Kenyatta to come out and explain the move by the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority to increase pump prices.
“As COTU we would like to remind His Excellency the President that Kenyan workers are suffering and that he should not tolerate the impunity, punishment, and the affront towards Kenyan workers by bodies such as EPRA,” said Atwoli.
He added: “We would like His Excellency the President to come out and make a statement on this unfair perpetual increase in fuel prices. The President should, himself, explain to Kenyans why the government is hellbent on increasing the pain and suffering of Kenyan workers and Kenyans in general amid the Covid-19 pandemic.”
The COTU boss said the increase comes at a time when many workers are suffering from heavy taxation and slashed salaries due to the effects of Coronavirus.
“As observed earlier, in our warning to the government to stop irritating Kenyan workers with these outrageous and insensitive increases in fuel prices, it only costs Sh.49.84 to import a litre of petrol from the Middle East while an average Kenyan has to pay an extra of around Sh.84 for every litre of petrol purchased. Interestingly, Uganda, which is a landlocked country, retails its petrol at Sh. 110 compared to Kenya’s Sh. 134,” added Atwoli.
In its latest maximum pump price review, the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) raised the prices of super petrol by Ksh.7.58 per litre.
This is while the cost of diesel and kerosene shoots by Ksh.7.94 and Ksh.12.97 per litre respectively from midnight on Wednesday.
A litre of petrol in Kenya’s Capital Nairobi will now cost Ksh.134.72 rising from Ksh.127.14.
The cost of diesel meanwhile spikes to Ksh.115.60 from Ksh.107.66 while kerosene will cost Ksh.110.82 from Ksh.97.85.
EPRA has attributed the rising fuel prices higher costs for landed petroleum products with the cost of landed super petrol rising by 0.72 percent, diesel by 4.81 percent, and kerosene by 0.96 percent.
The Senate has however summoned Energy Cabinet Secretary Charles Keter to appear before them next to explain the hiking of the fuel prices in the country.
