Motorists have to dig deeper into their pockets – at least for the next 30 days – after the cost of super petrol and diesel was increased by Sh2.13 and Sh2.39, respectively.
The price of a litre of kerosene has also gone up by Sh3.36, according to the latest maximum retail pump prices of petroleum products announced by the Energy Regulatory Commission. The new prices take effect at midnight.
COST
The regulator, in a statement, attributed the upward adjustment in this month’s prices to an increase in landed costs.
ERC’s Director-General Pavel Oimeke said the average landed cost of imported Super Petrol increased by 3.99 percent from Sh65,530 (US$ 636.22) per tonne to Sh68,148 (US$ 661.6) between November and December last year.
Mr Oimeke explained that during the same period, the landed cost of diesel also increased by 4.63 percent from Sh55, 994 (US$543.63) per tonne to Sh58, 588 (US$568.82) while that of Kerosine also went up by 6.36 percent from Sh59, 703 (US$579.64) per tonne to Sh63,500 (US$616.51).
“Taking into account the weighted average cost of imported refined products, the changes in the maximum allowed petroleum pump prices are as follows – super petrol, diesel and kerosine increases by Sh2.13, Sh2.39 and Sh3.36, respectively,” Mr Oimeke said.
He further explained that over the same period, the mean monthly US dollar to Kenya Shilling exchange rate appreciated by 0.30 percent, from Sh103.43 to Sh103.12.
KEROSENE
The upward adjustment in pricing will see kerosene, which is largely used by the urban poor and rural households, retail at Sh72.01 per litre in Mombasa, Sh74.78 per litre in Nairobi, Sh75.62 (Nakuru), Sh76.69 both in Eldoret and Kisumu, Sh78.77 in Isebania and Sh88.59 in Mandera for the next one month.
Super petrol on the other hand, will be cheapest in Mombasa at Sh103.01 per litre. In Nairobi, the commodity will be sold at Sh106.30 per litre, Sh114.55 in Wajir, Sh120 in Mandera, Sh106 (Nakuru) and 108.17 and 108.24, respectively, in Eldoret and Kisumu.
For diesel, retailers are expected to sell the commodity at Sh91.55 per litre, Nairobi (Sh94.82), Wajir (Sh103), Mandera (Sh108.63), Nakuru (Sh95.74), Eldoret (Sh96.92) while in Kisumu, the product is expected to sell at Sh96.99).