News
Price war: The truth about fuel shortage
The Kenya Pipeline Company headquarters. The company says it has been pumping oil regularly and has blamed the fuel shortage on rogue fuel distributors who have not been distributing the commodity. Photo/HEZRON NJOROGE
Posted Sunday, December 28 2008 at 19:48
Nakuru on the other hand had 1.1 million litres (premium), 1 million (regular), 1.6 million (kerosene), and 153,000 litres of diesel pumpable stock in tanks ready for consumption.
“Owing to this, we still wonder why there is this artificial shortage of fuel,” said the source.
The country has over the last few days witnessed an increase in fuel prices by at least Sh2 created by the artificial shortage of the essential commodity.
There were fears that those who have travelled up country for the Christmas festivities may get stranded as the fuel shortage continued to spread in the country.
On Sunday, a source who declined to be named, said KPC pumps at least 540,000 litres of fuel per hour in a bid to meet the rising demand for the commodity by Kenyans.
The source asked: “If there is indeed a shortage of fuel in the country, why hasn’t it spread to other parts of the region?
“These oil marketers must, therefore, come clean and explain to Kenyans where this artificial shortage is from and why it had not spread to the neighbouring countries who depend on our supplies,” said the source.
“We pump at least 540,000 litres of fuel per hour everyday and this is going on even now. These people must come clean and tell us what is going on.”
A spot check by the Nation at the depots of the various oil marketing companies revealed that all of them were closed and were not allowing oil tankers to load more fuel stocks despite the ‘shortage’.
In Kisumu, officials from KPC said they had adequate fuel supply in its depot and blamed oil marketers for the acute shortage of petrol in parts of Western Kenya.
Mr Joshua Nyatebe, the KPC Kisumu depot manger, said they loaded tanks until late on Saturday and could not understand why there was a shortage of fuel in the region.
“We loaded supplies that were sufficient for the local market at the weekend and even extended the process until late on Saturday,” Mr Nyatebe said.
However our survey revealed that motorists who visited most petrol stations were turned away. Total, Kenol, Kobil, Shell, National stations had only diesel.
There were long queues of cars at HASS petrol station on Kisumu-Kakamega road and at OiLibya stations, which had fuel.
Raised fares
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Submitted by BleedingLovePosted December 30, 2008 08:14 AM
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Submitted by nzaku
This is simple. Fine the guys and invite other oil companies to come and share the profit they want to protect. The best scenerio is to encourage Kenyans to mobilize their funds and own a big share of these firms instead of solely depending on these multi-nationals.
Posted December 30, 2008 02:31 AM -
Submitted by maskani
I seems that the price of UNGA is suffering the same fate, GREED SOME PEOPLE wanakula pekee yao. When will all these end and kenyans no longer exploited. Do we need another Moussa Camara in Kenya or what?
Posted December 30, 2008 01:11 AM -
Submitted by Thiankolu
We are the only country that allows its economy to be chocked by restrictive trade practices. In the US, the conspirators would be fined at least three times the harm done to the economy. Equally stringent anticompetition laws exist for the whole of the EU. Someone our learders, who should be exposed, are complicit to and benefiting from this. Privatisation of the refinery is nolonger a sensible thing. The theory that privatisation of all parastatals leads to economic growth has since been discredited. Look at the bailouts in the West, if you need evidence.
Posted December 29, 2008 03:29 PM -
Submitted by wuod_aketch
Things will be even worser if the Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) is privatized. KPC has successfully fulfilled the role it was meant for, to provide the most economical and modern way of transporting and storing petroleum products. Some people who would like to eat are striving for the privatization of this family jewel.
Posted December 29, 2008 01:58 PM
RSS
our schools are a sham , our roads impassable , no affordable food anywhere, our forests razed, thugs attack at noon , internal refugees , water shortage , all this because a few people stand to benefit. Why don't you send a firing squad and just kill us all . When we are gone you can own everything and be happy. Too much greed going on.