Motorists in the North Rift region are in panic following an unexpected fuel shortage that has hit several key towns in the area.
Shortage of petrol and diesel has been reported in Eldoret, Kapsabet, and Iten towns, with long queues of vehicles and bodabodas being witnessed in several petrol stations.
A spot check by Uasin Gishu News revealed that some petrol stations had already run out of fuel, with motorists flocking the few that still had the commodity.
At Ola Petrol station at Trukadero in Eldoret, operators said they expect to get more diesel later in the day.
“Saa hizi hakuna kazi, customers ni wengi but mafuta hakuna,” said one of the operators at the petrol station.
“We have told them to be patient as we’re expecting diesel later today. We hope things will change. There is diesel but no petrol at all,” he added.
Some of the petrol station operators we spoke to say the shortage is a result of a shortage from the Kenya Pipeline depot.
“Kenya Pipeline say they don’t have fuel, so they are giving as less than what we order,’ noted one of the operators.
The fuel shortage is likely to affect not only the transport industry but also the agriculture industry.
Famers are currently preparing their farms for a planting season.
“I have been here at 5 am. Looked for fuel all over. Vehicles are many. I have a large farm and I don’t know what I will do yet the rains are here,” said Cornelius Aiyabei, a farmer.
While some motorists blame the situation of the Ukraine-Russian war, other feel it is a plot by petrol stations to hoard the product ahead of the budget reading.
The Treasury Cabinet Secretary Ukuru Yatani is expected to present a budget statement to the National Assembly early in April.
“I don’t think this is anything related to the Russia-Ukraine war. The budget is around the corner and traders are not sure if the prices will go up or not, so they are hoarding,” said a local in Eldoret.
