Motorists and Kenyans, in general, can now take a sigh of relief after the government moved to tame the escalating fuel prices.
According to the Daily Nation, motorists should expect a drop in the price of diesel, petrol, and kerosene by about Ksh2 to Ksh5 from November 15 just in time for shopping and travelling associated with the Christmas festive season
On Wednesday, October 30, the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (Epra) director Pavel Oimeke stated that the regulator would reduce the pipeline tariffs which determine the pricing of fuel.
“The authority has approved the following KPC pipeline transport tariffs effective15th November 2019; Sh4.2/m3/km, Sh3.9/m3/ km, and Sh3.7/m3/km for financial year 2019/2020, 2020/2021 and 2021/2022,” Oimeke responded when queried by Daily Nation.
The energy regulatory authority had delayed these changes that were scheduled to be effected from August 2019.
The drop in the fuel prices will also come from the reduction of the cost Kenya Pipeline Company charges to pump fuel from Mombasa to inland depots in Kisumu, Eldoret, Nakuru, and Nairobi.
The current cost of pumping the fuel is Ksh5.22 for every 1,000 litres and KPC is expected to reduce the charges by Sh1.89 during the Christmas festivities.
Close to 80% of the fuel in Kenya is transported by pipeline while the remainder is ferried by trucks.
The Consumer Federation of Kenya Secretary-General Stephen Mutoro welcomed the move by Epra and asked the regulatory authority to make certain consumers were not short-changed.
“We expect that benefit to be translated in full and I think KPC should not feel any revenue constraints from the same since there will be more consumption in the long run," Mutoro added
