Roads, Transport and Public Works Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has defended Thursday’s decision by the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) to increase the cost of fuel by as much as Sh20 for every litre.
Speaking in Nyeri on Friday, when he officially opened the 55th edition of the Central Kenya National Show on behalf of the President William Ruto, Murkomen said that the price of fuel had gone up all over the world and that the price hikes were not unique to the Kenya alone.
“I know that Kenyans are anxious because of the price of petroleum. This increase is a result of a spike globally. As a matter of fact, our country has tried because, through the government-to-government arrangement, we have been able to manage the cost of petroleum products,” stated Murkomen.
On Thursday, EPRA released the new fuel prices that will see a litre of Super Petrol prices go up by Sh16.96 while the cost of a litre of diesel has increased by Sh21.32. The price of Kerosene has shot up by Sh33.13 per litre.
With the new September-October price revisions, a consumer in Nairobi County will part with Sh211.64 for a litre of Super Petrol and Sh200.99 for a litre of Diesel. Kerosene is now retailing at Sh202.61 per litre. In Mombasa County, a litre of Super Petrol now costs Sh208.58, Diesel is retailing at 197.93 and a litre of Kerosene is being sold at Sh199.54 at the pump. In Nyeri County, Super Petrol is selling at Sh213.12, Diesel at Sh202.47 and Kerosene is selling at Sh 204.08.
In a statement, EPRA director general, Daniel Kiptoo, said that the increase was occasioned by an increase in the cost of imported refined petroleum products.
While defending the price hike, Murkomen said that the government was doing its best to cushion Kenyans from the impact through the government-to-government deal with the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia which is supposed to guarantee Kenya reduced fuel prices at the pump.
“The president has not slept; he has done everything possible. The Ministry of Energy and the Energy CS have been to ministries that work on the G-to-G programme with the governments which can supply petroleum to make sure that we continue reducing the cost of the products,” said Murkomen.
But in a rejoinder, Nyeri Diocese Catholic Archbishop, Anthony Muheria says that the upward price adjustments did not take into consideration the plight of poor Kenyans. According to the cleric who was speaking at the Our Lady Consolata Cathedral in Nyeri on Saturday, the price hike heralds the beginning of tougher times for Kenyans who will now be forced to dig deeper into their pockets to afford basic commodities and transport costs.
Further, Archbishop Muheria said that increasing the cost of fuel will deal another negative blow to the income of ordinary Kenyans who are already struggling to keep up with the upsurge of taxes from the government as a way of supporting the economy.
“The increased cost of fuel is going to have a terrible ripple effect. All the fares, boda boda and matatu are going to change. It will also affect the prices of commodities and services,” said Archbishop Muheria.
To address the crisis, the Nyeri Prelate has called for a discourse involving all stakeholders to chart the best solution which will put into consideration the plight of the poor.
He said he was convinced that despite the cost of fuel being determined by global factors, the government had not explored all the available avenues to cushion the consumer from the impact of the global petroleum trade.
“We know that fuel prices are affected by the global market that is why we are saying we should find a solution. We should not constrain the poor Kenyans from all quarters,” he said.
By Wangari Mwangi
