By Joseph Kamau
A section of transport sector players in Eldoret town has downplayed a recent drop in fuel prices.
The Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) on Wednesday announced new fuel prices for the newt one month that saw a Ksh0.66 and Ksh1.66 drop in Petrol and Diesel per litre.
But according to some of the bodaboda operators in Eldoret town, the drop is merely partial, as they believe the prices will rise again once the budget is tabled in the National Assembly.
“Let’s say that it is just a slight decrease in price but obviously after reading the budget, the fuel prices will rise again in accordance with the taxation bill,” noted one of the operators who sought anonymity.
Similar sentiments were shared by a taxi driver who operates in Eldoret town.
Strained working atmosphere
The taxi operator noted that the slight drop in fuel prices has no impact on the transport sector.
“This business is running on endless losses since there are no clients and the constant high fuel prices have resulted in us surviving in debts to the extent of making a loss of Ksh1000 per day,” stated the driver.
According to the transport service operators, the industry is still expected to continue facing income hurdles because of the strained working atmosphere attributed to high fuel prices.
EPRA announced a new fuel process on the eve of the budget statement from the Treasury Cabinet Secretary Prof. Njuguna Nd’ungu.
However, the price of kerosene increased.
“Taking into account the weighted average cost of imported refined petroleum products, the changes in the maximum allowed petroleum pump prices in Nairobi are as follows: Super petrol and diesel by Ks0.66 per litre and Ksh1.12 per litre respectively while Kerosene increases by Ksh0.35 per litre,” EPRA said in a statement.
A litre of petrol will now retail at Ksh182.04 in Nairobi while diesel will retail at Ksh167.28.
In Nakuru, a litre of super petrol will retail at Ksh181.18 while diesel will be sold at Ksh166.78.
However, the prices are expected to rise sooner than later after the National Assembly passed the controversial Finance Bill which had proposed an increase in fuel VAT from 8 per cent to 16 per cent.
