Nairobi has become the latest part of the country to be hit by an acute fuel shortage, leading to panic buying as motorists flock petrol stations.
The shortage of the precious commodity has seen some petrol stations turn away motorists after their pumps run dry while others have resolved to exercise rationing.
In some parts of the country, however, the shortage, has been attributed to deliberate hoarding of the product by oil marketing companies which are now blaming the government for failing to remit the fuel subsidies funds to them.
Motorists who spoke to Kenyans.co.ke noted that the shortage in Nairobi has become more pronounced, forcing them to drive to more than four petrol stations to fuel their vehicles with noting that some petrol stations are limiting the amount of fuel to an equivalent of Ksh4,000.
"I had to quickly rush out to get fuel at 10pm after receiving news through the radio that the fuel shortage was getting worse, I got to the first petrol station and there was only diesel, fortunately, I found petrol at the next station, but I had to line up for about thirty minutes," one motorist who resides in Kilimani told Kenyans.co.ke.
Another motorist complained that he had to drive 7 kilometers in order to buy fuel as most filing stations turned him away.
"My cars fuel gauge light indicated that I was running on reserve when I was leaving Juja. There was no fuel in any of the petrol stations in my locality and I was forced to drive on is search of a petrol station with the commodity. It was around 8:30pm, most petrol stations along Thika Road had no fuel or very little remaining. I was lucky to finally get some fuel at a petrol station in Kahawa Sukari, but this was after queueing for long," the motorist told Kenyans.co.ke.
In Western parts of the country, some motorists have been forced to cross to Uganda to buy fuel which is retailing at Ksh200 due to long queues and shortages.
Others have been forced to buy fuel in jerrycans and ferry on boda bodas after their vehicles got stuck.
On March 28, the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) released a statement attributing fuel shortage to logistic constraints.
"Reference is made to the ongoing reported shortage of petroleum products in parts of North Rift and Western Kenya. The shortage is occasioned by unprecedented logistical constraints. These challenges have caused independent petroleum dealers to run out of petroleum stocks," read part of the statement.
The authority assured motorists that the situation would be resolved but in most parts of the countries, it has worsened.
"We assure the public that there are enough fuel supplies in the country and that there should be no cause to panic," EPRA stated.
On the other hand, the Petroleum Outlets Association of Kenya (POAK) issued a different statement noting that fuel shortage was a result of unfair practices in the international market.
"We have been experiencing a tough wholesale market where we have grappled with unrealistic prices and artificial shortages, and at times, both scenarios play out," POAK noted.
EPRA in its February fuel price review stated that it had saved motorists from paying Ksh150 for a litre of petrol due to the subsidy that was provided by the government.
Following their review, super petrol started retailing at Ksh134.72 per litre while diesel for Ksh115.60 at pump prices.
