Government Releases 34.4 Billion Shillings To Oil Marketers As Oil Subsidy

The government is set to release 34.4 billion shillings to the oil markets as a subsidy in a bid to curb the recent shortage of commodities in the country.

This comes after President Uhuru Kenyatta signed the Supplementary Appropriation Bill aimed at cutting the cost of the commodity whose prices have since spiked due to the global energy crisis.

The countrywide shortage of fuel was still felt on Monday even after the government cushioned the major players in the oil market to stop hoarding the commodity.

Motorists have shared their ordeals where they were restricted to a maximum fuel worth 2000 shillings only in major petrol stations.

With a liter of fuel now selling at 200 shillings, 250 shillings, and 150 shillings in Kisii, Bungoma, and Eldoret respectively, Boda Boda operators have expressed their frustrations and disappointment in the National Government.

A crisis that has pushed Motorists from Western Kenya to drive across the border to Uganda to get the much-needed commodity, has fast escalated, now passing the exorbitant cost on to other business sectors.

Some of the Boda Boda operators say that they have increased the fare by more than double to meet the cost of fuel. One now uses 150 shillings for the same distance they used to pay 50 shillings before the shortage began.

As of Monday, Some Shell outlets are the only ones that still have fuel, but only the V Power brand, which retails for 152  shillings a liter compared with 135 shillings for unleaded super, which most motorists use.

And as the shortage threatens to spiral into a national crisis, a section of MPs has challenged the government to revoke the licenses of petroleum retailers who are causing artificial scarcity to have petrol prices increased.