Following the upward review of fuel prices by the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) on Friday, June 30, Kenyans have been forced to explore different ways to cushion themselves from the new prices.
A section of Kenyan motorists have resorted to crossing the border to neighbouring Uganda to fuel their vehicles.
In a conversation that went viral on Sunday, July 2, motorists pointed out that they opted to cross the border into Uganda to fuel their cars owing to the lower rates.
In Uganda, petrol retails at Ush4,740 (Ksh182) per litre while diesel goes for Ush4,454 (Ksh171) per litre.
Some motorists noted that the trend was set by long-distance buses which opted to fuel in Kigali, Rwanda and top up in Kampala before arriving in Nairobi.
"I have seen the long-distance buses already doing that, they fuel in Kigali and top up in Kampala before reaching Nairobi. When heading back, they might opt to fuel at the Ugandan border. Everybody is avoiding to fuel in Kenya," read a comment from David Ngari.
Speaking to Kenyans.co.ke, Miller Kyalo, car dealer and expert, weighed in on the matter and argued that the cost-saving measure would not be effective in the long run.
Further, he opined that the move favoured motorists who are close to the border rather than those located further inside the country.
According to Kyalo, a much more effective option for motorists would be to consider either hybrid or electric vehicles (EVs).
"Hybrids are more reliable as they have better fuel efficiency and emit few carbon emissions. Fully switching to electric would be more ideal but currently there are few EV charging stations," he noted.
Kyalo urged the government to focus on the clean energy options as well as provide incentives to encourage more motorists to shift away from traditional fuel consumption.
"The government lacks the goodwill to drive in that direction. From 10:00 pm to 5:00 am, there are fewer activities so why can't they place incentives for charging stations to offer lower rates at that time?" he wondered.
As of July 3, 2023, the retail prices of fuel products in Kenya were as follows: super petrol sold at Ksh195.53 per litre, diesel at Ksh179.67 per litre, and kerosene at Ksh173.44 per litre.
