Acute Shortage Of Kerosene Hits Kenya As Ministry Remains Mute

By Juma / Published July 28, 2020 | 8:00 am

There is an acute shortage of Kerosene across the country but the Ministry has remained mute about the issue.

In more than a week, Kenyans have experienced long queues at gas stations as the scramble for the little available Kerosene. In most gas stations in Nairobi, customers were turned away when the stock ran out even before the announcement of the new prices.

60 percent of households in Kenya use Kerosene for cooking and lighting and the shortage has hit hard on most households in the country. The majority of Kenyans who use kerosene are from the informal sector and the rural areas.

The Ministry of Energy has remained silent over the shortage with Kenyans claiming that the Ministry has created the shortage to push Kenyans towards embracing clean energy.

On July 14, 2020, the Energy Petroleum and Regulatory Authority (EPRA) announced the new prices of fuel that will be in place to August 15, 2020.

The price of Kerosene was increased by 2.98 shillings to retail at 65.45 shillings per liter in Nairobi. The reason for the shortage of the much-needed commodity has not been established.

The government has been calling on Kenyans to embrace the use of such clean cooking methods as gas but Kenyans have complained of the acquisition of the gas cylinders being too expensive.

Why is the Ministry silent when Kenyans are visibly suffering?

READ: Price Of Sugar Up By Ksh 20 After Ban On Importation

Spike in sugar prices

There also seems to be a shortage of sugar across the country with the prices of a kilogram of sugar rising by 20 to 40 shillings.

During the month, the Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture Mr. Peter Munya banned the importation of brown sugar as well as sugarcane into the country.

The increase of the prices has been termed as a way by sugar barons to blackmail the government so as to allow the importation of sugar as it was before.

READ: Financial Strategies For Households During The Covid-19 Pandemic

About Juma

Juma is an enthusiastic journalist who believes that journalism has power to change the world either negatively or positively depending on how one uses it.(020) 528 0222 or Email: info@sokodirectory.com

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