Oil Shortage Hits Nairobi As Oil Truckers and ERC Clash

Nairobi City County and its environs were hit by an acute fuel shortage Wednesday and Thursday morning as oil transporters demonstrated the new directive from the Ministry of Energy that needs them to only operate during the day.

The transporters went on strike on Tuesday demanding that the ministry withdraws the directive saying that it will greatly affect their business and schedules. The directive is part of the clause found in the Energy (Licensing and Petroleum Road Transportation Business) of 2013 and which was supposed to come into effect on the 1^st of January 2014 had never been effected. Among other things, the clause requires that all licensed fuel transporters should ensure that petroleum tankers are only driven between 6.30 am and 6.30 pm.

The move by the ministry to put into effect the directive led to more than 40 million litres of fuel being stuck in various petroleum depots across the country and transporters refused to transport them. On Wednesday, various petrol stations in Nairobi were empty and most motorists were left stranded.

Big fuel distributors in the city and its environs like Shell in Kiambu and Kileleshwa as well as National Oil in Nairobi West had run out of stock and had to turn away most of their customers. The Ministry of Energy, however, has said that it working to make sure that the standoff is resolved as soon as possible.

The directive by the ministry is meant to avert road accidents involving tankers and other vehicles leading to mass death of people like what happened late last year near Naivasha where more than 40 people lost their lives when a tanker lost control and rammed into more than 15 vehicles.

Motorists are now worried that the shortage might lead to the hiking of fuel prices if the stalemate will not be resolved soon.