Fuel Prices Hit Record High After EPRA September Review

photo of a fuel pump in Kenya
A photo of a motorist fuelling a car a local petrol station in Kenya
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EPRA

The Energy Petroleum and Regulatory Authority  (EPRA) on Thursday released the fuel prices for the period between September 15 to October 14.

EPRA increased the cost of Super Petrol to Ksh211.64, Diesel to Ksh200.99, and Kerosene to ksh202.61 per litre in Nairobi.

"The maximum allowed petroleum pump prices in Nairobi are as follows: Super Petrol increases by Ksh16.96, Diesel increases by Ksh21.32 per litre & Kerosene increases by Ksh33.13 per litre," EPRA Director General Daniel Kiptoo announced.

EPRA explained that the cost increased due to the spike in the total landed cost of the petroleum products.

Undated photo of a person fueling a car
Photo of a person fueling a car at a petrol station in August 2018.
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EPRA

"The average landed cost of imported Super Petrol increased by 4.80 per cent from Ksh108,516 (USD739.21) per cubic metre in July 2023 to Ksh113,721 (USD774.67) per cubic metre in August 2023 while Diesel increased by 12.52 per cent from Ksh103,052 (USD701.99) per cubic metre to Ksh115,955 (USD789.89) per cubic metre,"

"Kerosene increased by 19.79 per cent from Ksh101,377 (USD690.58) per cubic metre to Ksh121,441 (USD827.26) per cubic metre," the authority stated.

Motorists in Mombasa will pay Ksh208.58 for Super Petrol, Ksh197.93 for Diesel, and Ksh199.54 for Kerosene. While those in Nakuru will pay Ksh210.63 for Petrol, Ksh200.40 for Diesel, and Ksh202.01 for Kerosene.

In Kisumu, Super will retail at Ksh211.40 at the pump while Diesel and Kerosene will be sold at Ksh201.16 and Ksh202.77 per litre respectively.

"The prices are inclusive of the 16% Value Added Tax (VAT) in line with the provisions of the Finance Act 2023, the Tax Laws (Amendment) Act 2020, and the revised rates for excise duty adjusted for inflation as per Legal Notice No. 194 of 2020," the statement read in part.

In the last review, the government cushioned Kenyans against the rising costs through subsidies from the Petroleum Development Levy.

Motorists in Nairobi paid Ksh194.68 for a litre of Super Petrol, Ksh179.67 for a litre of Diesel, and Ksh179.67 for a litre of Kerosene.

The government introduced a subsidy of Ksh7.33, Ksh3.59, and Ksh5.74 per litre of Super Petrol, Diesel, and Kerosene respectively.

The high cost has pushed Kenyan motorists to seek alternative fuels such as natural gas and electricity. Local public transport providers have also introduced electric vehicles to their fleets.

An image of an electric bus operated by Roam Rapid in Nairobi CBD on January 16, 2023..jpg
A photo of an electric bus operated by Roam Rapid in Nairobi CBD on January 16, 2023.
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Roam