For the last three weeks or so, scarcity of fuel has been a cry for many motorists. With long queues at petrol stations and some motorists being prohibited from earning their daily wages as result. As a result of the COVID impact on the economy and the ongoing war, the prices of crude oil have been on an upward trajectory.

In response to the current state of scarcity Cabinet Secretary for Petroleum and Mining Monica Juma addressed this situation today, “A week into addressing all the concerns by the sector players, we are yet to witness normalcy in the retail supply of fuel, as we know it and yet, the Kenya Pipeline Corporation infrastructure is at full capacity and the country stock holding is at an all-time high. On the assessment of this situation, of filled storage capacity at KPC and ships delayed to dock and discharge because the KPC capacity is filled to the brim and yet we witness queues and droves of Kenyans making night vigils to secure a gallon of fuel, can modestly be described as economic sabotage.”

The statement further gives explanations on “regrettably criminal and would if unchecked plunge the nation into an energy insecurity” and it also gives the measure the government seeks to implement against the hoarders. The CS also shared the plans the government has set to ensure this occurrence doesn’t happen again.

It is also a sigh of relief for Kenyans as, ”The Government will continue with the fuel stabilization to ensure that Kenya remains far the cheapest country in East Africa and within Sub-Saharan Africa. As of today, Kshs. 49,164,825,514.60 has been disbursed to OMCs under the petroleum pump price stabilization,” the statement read in part.