Kenya Hit By Acute Fuel Shortage: Sabotage or Reality?

Kenya has been hit by an acute fuel shortage as the strike by fuel truckers enters its fifth day following the government’s decision to implement the 16 percent VAT on petroleum products.

The truckers, who have been on strike since Sunday, want the government to revoke the 16 percent VAT saying that they risk incurring huge losses given that the price is much lower in the neighboring countries; Uganda and Tanzania.

Thursday morning saw clear roads in Nairobi as vehicle owners kept them parking due to the absence of fuel in most fuel stations.

The few fuel stations that had fuel saw long queues as motorists struggled to at least get fuel for their vehicles. This forced most petrol to set a limit of fuel amount one had to take in.

At Astro Lenana Road, motorists were only allowed to purchase fuel of up to 500 shillings and within 20 minutes, the fuel was already over and motorists asked to seek for other petrol stations.

As at 8:30 Thursday morning, almost all fuel stations within Nairobi had no fuel, especially diesel and petrol. Other areas closer to Nairobi that has registered fuel shortage include Kiambu and Thika.

Other towns that have been hit hard include Nakuru, Mombasa, Eldoret, and Kisumu with thousands of motorists begging of the expensive yet scarce commodity.

Mombasa, despite being closer to the “source”, started experiencing the shortage ahead of Nairobi as Kenya Independent Petroleum Dealers Association (KIPEDA) continue to block entrances to specific fuel depots to compel the government to reverse the 16 percent VAT.

Kenyans living along the border with other countries are have decided to cross over to buy fuel. In Ethiopia, for instance, a liter of petrol is retailing at 75 shillings as compared to 130 shillings in Kenya. In Uganda, super petrol is going for 108 shillings and 102 shillings for diesel compared to Kenya where it is at 131 for petrol and 118 for diesel in Busia.

On Wednesday, petroleum distributors booed the Energy principal secretary as he tried to address them. He seemed to have stepped on the wrong foot when he wanted them to respect the law.

Kenyans have already started feeling the heat with an increase in bus fares in most parts of the country. President Uhuru Kenyatta is expected back in the country with the whole country focused on the action he will take concerning the amendment that is before him which includes suspending the 16 percent VAT for further two years to 2020.