Fuel prices to remain unchanged amid December festivities

A fuel pump attendant

A pump attendant fills a tank at a petrol station in Nyeri town. 

Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group

The Kenyan energy regulator has kept fuel prices unchanged for the month of December.

In the latest review, the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (Epra) said the cost of a litre of petrol will retail at Sh177.3 per litre, diesel Sh162 and kerosene Sh145.94 in Nairobi.

The regulator said it would retain the current prices despite the landing cost of imported fuel increasing by 2.65 percent for petrol, 6.56 percent for diesel and 6.01 percent for kerosene in November. 

"The price of diesel has been cross subsidised with that of super petrol while a subsidy of Sh25.07 per liter has been maintained for kerosene in order to cushion consumers from the otherwise high prices," Epra said in a statement Wednesday.

"The government will utilise the Petroleum Development Levy to compensate oil marketing companies for the difference in cost."

In November, Epra handed Kenyans marginal relief at the pump by cutting fuel prices by Sh1, following a similar reduction in October. The regulator said the price reduction followed a drop in landed cost for imported fuel products, which fell by up to 9 per cent.