The Kenya Transporters Association has asked the government to urgently address the fuel shortage being reported in different parts of the country ahead of the next fuel price review by Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA).
In a statement released on Friday, the association said transporters are facing major disruptions as many petrol stations either run out of fuel, ration supplies or experience long queues.
The group said truck drivers are now spending hours looking for fuel instead of transporting goods and serving customers.
“The transport sector is the bloodstream of the economy. When transport slows down, the economy slows down,” the association said.
From the transporters’ point of view, the problem is already posing a threat to cargo movement not only in Kenya but in the whole region, posing a question on the image of the country as a reliable transport and trading partner.
The Kenyan government earlier assured that the country had sufficient stocks of fuel and no cause for worry existed.
Now, however, the Transporters Association is demanding a statement from the Ministry of Energy on the actual position of stock levels, what led to the fuel crisis, and how soon can things get back to normal.
These demands are coming shortly before EPRA announces new fuel prices that will apply from May 15th to June 14th.
It is believed that some fuel stations are hoarding their stocks waiting for higher prices.
At present, one liter of Super Petrol is sold at Kshs197.60, one liter of Diesel is sold at Kshs196.63, and one liter of Kerosene is sold at Kshs152.78.
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