Epra reduces price of petrol by Sh0.85, diesel unchanged in latest review

Fuel economy

A car is fueled at a petrol station. Nairobi motorists to pay Sh194.68 for petrol and Sh179.67 for diesel in latest Epra review.

Photo credit: Shutterstock

Prices of petrol and kerosene decrease by Sh0.85 and Sh3.96 per litre to retail at Sh194.68 and Sh169.48 respectively in Nairobi as cost of diesel remains unchanged at Sh179.67.

According to Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (Epra), the figures will be in force from July 15 to August 14.

The energy regulator maintained the 16 percent Value Added Tax (VAT) on petroleum products, in line with the provisions of the suspended Finance Act, 2023.

“The average landed cost of imported Super Petrol dereased by 2.84 percent from US$711.99 per cubic metre in May 2023 to US$691.76 per cubic metre in June 2023; Diesel decreased by 2.99 percent from US$693.86 per cubic metre to us$673.14 per cubic metre while Kerosene decreased by 7.32 percent from US$693.71 per cubic metre to US$642.91 per cubic metre,” the regulator said.

On June 30, Epra reviewed the prices of petroleum products upwards to record figures after it implemented the doubling of VAT from 8 to 16 percent.

Justice Mugure Thande suspended the implementation of the Act after a case filed by Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah challenging the constitutionality of the Finance Act, 2023.

In defying the court ruling, Epra increased the price of petrol by Sh13.49, diesel by Sh12.39 and kerosene by Sh11.96 per litre.

The record hike saw Nairobi motorists pay Sh195.53 for a litre of petrol, Sh179.67 for diesel and Sh173.44 for kerosene for the past two weeks.

When they factored the VAT doubling on June 30, Epra had argued they had not received the court order from Senator Omtatah’s case.

On Monday, July 10, High Court declined to lift the order stopping Treasury Cabinet Secretary from implementing the Finance Act, 2023. Justice Thande said the case raises substantial constitutional issues and sent the file to Chief Justice Martha Koome to form a bench to determine the case.